United We Stand, With Crisis We Fall
by enigmatic-evil
Summary: The Sequel To Superhero Anarchy: An Alien Race decides to try and conquer earth. We'll see what Rayvin, Jennifer, Vincent, Rage, and Hurricane have to say about that.
1. Prologue

He blinked a few times before he accually woke up. The buzz of the incandecent lights and the sting of the darts was still fresh with his sences. The room looked so plain, so metal, so... official. He thought he was dead but Duane Bannts was infact in the custody of the FBI and more officialy, the WUP, or the world united police, the highest governing body in the world as far as policing was concerned. A couple tugs of his arms allerted him that his arms were tied behind his back; and the chair he was sitting was less than comfortable.

His mind was throbing and the usually supressed glare of the incandecent light was even more extremely irritating to his eyes. He could feel it, his weapons had been taken away from him, so had his trench coat. He was in a tank-top and his pants, they pretty much patted him clean, he cursed to himself greatly as he struggled in the restraints. Whatever they were, they were obviously made for mutants because he couldnt exactally break himself out Being that he is not quite superhuman but definately stronger than any mortal man, that was quite the feat.

Looking around the room calmly he first noticed a mirror, which he obviously knew was a one sided window. Who know's who was looking at him from behind that wall, whoever they were .They were going to have hell to pay. He noticed three cameras, one above the door, and two in adjecent corners of the room. All watching him with their beaty mechanical eyes. He felt a deep stinging pain, the sedative was still wearing off, he couldn't exactally talk, and moving just made him feel weaker, so he decided to sit still for a bit. Maybe he'd figure things out if he was patient with it

Wondering just what the fuck was going on, he couldnt really hide the fact that he was indeed curious. He wasn't dead. When they tried to capture him they sedated him so they obviously took him somewhere. Those S.W.A.T members were assigned to capture and they obviously got their mark. He was one of the deadliest assassins on the planet and he was captured as if he was a stray dog running from the dog pound man. He felt almost humiliated, regardless of the fact that they caught him because of his own carelessness. He didnt know what he had planned and that was why he was most uncomfortable.

He continued to look around, there was a table off to his right. And then he blinked, one of the cameras twitched, his awareness was somewhat back because he was feeling that familiar paranoia he usually was accompanied by. It came naturally with a life of hunting people, for various reasons. It was like a mercenaries sixth sence, his awareness of his surroundings was almost something, like the force or telepathy or something. And his was going off, he had to get out of there, he didnt know what was going on, all he knew was that the S.W.A.T team definately finished their job.

He looked over as the door opened, a few men entered the room, one in a rather official millitary suit with numerous medals. Clearly this man had served the world in some way, shape or forum. The other two men that accompanied him were just two armed soliders. The man had a folder in his hand, he put it on the table and was staring at Duane. The man was obviously in his late 50's, he had the cold eyes of a veteran. And the cold stare of someone that had seen and done things that only his kind of person could imagine. The same kind of stare that Duane had.

He paced silently for a few moments. His steps echoed throughout the room. His two armed soliders stayed at the sides of the door, at attention, obviously just for insurance measures, but Duane was in no position to put up any kind of resistance given his current condition. The two men just kind of looked at eachother before the man who seemed to be a general or something spoke up. "I hope you know why you're here?"  
  
Duane tried to talk, it wasn't very strong so making a point wouldnt really help matters. "Not exactally, I didnt really do anything."  
  
The General laughed. "Dont even joke about that. Do you want me to read off the list?" He grabbed the folder and pulled off a rather thick stack of papers. "This, Mister Bannts, is just the crimes you've committed over the past 10 years. Ommiting any murders or such that we've had to sweep under the rug on your behalf."  
  
Duane looked. "You're pinning me now for something I did 10 years ago?"  
  
The general's rather good natured look became quite stone cold within a matter of moments, sitting on the table beside Duane he shook his head. "Its a fair bit more complicated than that. See Duane, as far as your friends, family and the public are concerned. You're six feet under. You died in that explosion of the team mutant x building."  
  
Duane blinked "Bullshit!"  
  
"Read this..." he pressed a button and Duane's hands were free in time for him to catch the newspaper, surely enough, his paper was in the obituaries. He was dead alright. He couldn't believe it. They faked his death... but why. "Why did you do this?"  
  
The General stood up and nodded as he resumed pacing about the room. "Duane, let's cut the crap here. You have two options." He turned to Duane. "The world as you know it. Has its share of problems, as you know. But mutants aren't the only things that have grown in the past years. Werewolves, Vampires, Zombies, things that were so fucked up they were only supposed to be in the movies. They've emerged too... and the WUP had the problem under control. But we've lost so many men and the costs are becoming too high."  
  
"So you want me to take the fall, and just die to make you guys look good?" Duane said with a snerk. Being a fallout boy was never on his resume.

"Not exactally... lets face it 'Kindred'. You're the best at what you do. You've lived this long. Evaded the authorities for this long. Hell you layed dormant for a good 6-7 years and still continued to do your job. You've got one hell of a resume going for you." The General spoke in a matter of fact tone, saying these things like he was reading statistics rather than giving praise.

Duane just smugly grinned. "Well, I dont like to brag..."  
  
The General cut him off and continued, "Duane, we want you to head a division of the WUP, called "Operation: Smite" A division specially made of the best of the best. Soliders, Mercenaries, Mutants, a small group designed to take out these emerging new threats."  
  
Duane blinked "What exactally is in it for me?"  
  
The general smiled. "Well, its that, or you can go to one of our many high security prisons located in the deserts of africa. And spend the rest of your life being the bum buddy for some murderous tank of a mutant named Dougie."  
  
Duane shook his head. It wasnt exactally like they were giving him much choise. "So you're blackmailing me to lead this suicide team of yours..."   
  
The General shook his head. "Dont think of it as blackmail Duane, think of it more as, getting a second chance. We could put you away for life Duane. And we have the technology to make that life sentence really, really, long."  
  
Duane sighed, he didnt like the options. "What's the catch then..."  
  
The General nodded. "Another fantastic question. Well you see, you wont be allowed to talk to any of said friends or family, since they all think you're dead. Its within the publics best interest that you remain that way. You'll be required to get a, makeover of sorts."  
  
Duane raised an eyebrow. "A makeover?"  
  
"Yes, first of all you'll be required to cut off that hair of yours."  
  
Duane shook his head right there. "You're not touching a fucking lock of my hair buddy..."  
  
"Unless!" The general spoke up. "You want to sleep in a steel cot for the next 50 years of your life I suggest you listen. You'll be required to cut off your hair. You'll be given a tattoo, nothing too typical like a barcode or some sort of insignia, we do require however that the tattoo is a sleave that goes on your enitre arm. And we require that you have a certain chip put inside you, A locator chip that will simply let us know your location at all hours."

Duane didnt like the sound of this at all... "So let me get this strait. You're gonna turn me into some skin head, tattooed buffoon to lead your Zombie Smite Squad and you expect me to cut off the hair..." He looked simply relaxing in his uncomfortable chair. "Let me keep the hair, and its a deal. You want me as the leader obviously im more valuable to this 'program' then you're letting on."  
  
The General would've had his retort except a man in a similar suit walked into the room. "General Lassiter, can I have a moment with you..."  
  
The two rather uniformed men stepped out of the door and Duane smirked. "So... you two guys feel tough with your guns? With the worlds deadliest man in this room? Huh?" He stood up and made a gesture. The two guards drew their guns and pointed them at Duane. "Whoa! Im just joking around guys... chill."  
  
"General Lassiter, we just recieved this... I figured since you were organizing this new division, you'd like to see this."  
  
General Lassiter took the envelope, and slowly read the peice of paper, dropping it at the end with a look of surprise on his face. "Holy shit...."


	2. Chapter One:They Glow

"Mister Blood Rayvin... do you have any comment?" Blood Raven, or Rayvin Mitchels as we more commonly know him was having his first encounter with the media after his new found fame. "How do you feel being the new public image of mutants? Being part of this new group. 'Team Mutant X: Rogue Warriors' has thrust you into the public face." Rayvin looked overwhelmed. Jennifer McNaulty or The Widow as she's come to call herself. Stepped infront of him.

"His name is Rayvin, and he's got no comment. We're all very proud to be in the spot we're in. But if we could please have some time... we're trying to shop. Kevin doesnt like it very much when he's confined by large groups of talkative people... He gets angry really easily. You should all know this, he's code named 'Rage' for a reason." Jennifer just smiled as she lead the group on. Patricia Underwood, or Hurricane as she was more commonly known. The only remaining member of the original Team Mutant X hugged her boyfriend and lover closely. 

Rage was a bit off from the group. He just kept to himself even moreso since Duane and James passed on. He took the two deaths the worst surprisingly. And he couldnt exactally look to Vincent for a guy to listen. Rayvin was always meditating, and even though he'd listen it wasnt exactally the same. Hurricane was always with Rayvin and to this day he'd not really gotten to know her. And Jennifer had always scared him. The only girl from the team that he'd felt truly comfortable was Lauren, The late James's Wife, otherwise known as Energizer. She was like a sister to Kevin and now he felt like he had nobody.

Distracted in a book store. Vincent was checking to see if there was anything worth investing in. Somewhat pleased by the fact that he scared the media too much for them to hound him like they did the rest of the team. He generally had peace and quiet compared to the rest of the team. He had a Stephen King novel and an a sci-fi novel from a new unknown author that looked interesting. If it was good enough to get published. It was worth a few hours of vincent's time to read the thing.

The team had a few drastic changes overall. The original team of Duane, Jennifer, James, Rayvin and Kevin had saved the world, and gained world wide creditation for stopping Deftain. Now composed of 5 members, 2 of which new. They'd donned the name "TMX: The Rogue Warriors." and Jennifer, Kevin, Vincent, Rayvin and Patricia were the new team of the day. Their fame had not only brought them opertunities that they'd never dreampt of before. But also made them imfamous. Facist organizations and power mad mutants have constantly felt the need to test this new TMX yet the results have continuously been the same.

Insetead of hiding in underground bunkers, safehouses and appartment buildings. They now had a fancy skyscraper all to themselves. The upper floors held their quarters, training grounds, and other necesseties. The lower floors they held open for buisnesses, and their building is booming utopia of buisness and a statement of their newfound power. Also a signal of their newfound responsibilities.

Jennifer walked into the book store and blinked. A blonde haired man looked strangely familiar. But as he turned to face her and walk to the counter. His gut, and lack of goatee, was unfortunately not the man Jennifer was hoping it would be. "Vincent?" she asked curiously as she walked upto him. "You okay?"

Vincent's eyes were shut. He could see the president, reading a peice of paper, then the white house, one of the few monuments of america's history being obliterated by something. "Its nothing... Probably another dud vision. I've been having them frequently lately."

Jennifer just nodded. "Buy your books, we're heading home. Kevin wants to make lasagne but we dont trust him all that much so we're ordering chineses food, you in?"

Vincent just nodded. "S-sure, Listen, I'll catch up with you guys. I still got some running around I need to do."

Jennfier nodded and turned around. "Okay Vincent, I'll tell the others..." She was slightly worried for Vincent. He had been having headaches and visions all over the place lately. But he said none of them made any sense. Not to him anyway, he never really explained them so the rest of the group just went with Vincent's word.

Vincent was a bit worried, he thought back to two weeks ago when his odd dreams and visions started. His very first one was very like this. He was at the mall with his team. And this odd entitiy attacked the mall. That was the only thing that was missing at this point. He walked out of the bookstore and looked up. A shatter of a section of the glass ceiling being shattered and the screams of many of the people as they ran from the falling being. Vincent blinked as in his civillian clothes he wasnt nearly as intimidating. Black jeans a black button up shirt, the first few buttons undone and his sleaves rolled up.

The being looked in-human to say the least. Yellow, with blue energies surging around it like electricity or something. It shot a beam at this statue and the statue began to fall. Kevin blinked as he looked up, distracted solely by the being he missed a few clicks that this statue was falling, getting in a position to catch the statue, it practically crushed him into the ground when it fell on him.

"Kevin!" Jennifer screamed as she noticed Kevin get crushed by this statue from a ways away. She sprinted over to his side. She saw Vincent proceeding towards this being he pulled a small rod out of his pocket, It began to glow green, it extended to a 6 foot long staff but then the blade on the end curved out and his scythe was in his hands.

"I dont know what you are, or where you came from... but your train stops here." Vincent said as he stalked towards the being as if this was natural occurence. Jennifer was trying to pry the rock off of Rage, and Hurricane and Rayvin were soon to arrive on the scene.

Jennifer screamed at Rayvin, she was worried. She had no hope of getting the giant boulder off rage. "Guys! Help! Rage is trapped under here!"

Rayvin rushed over to Jennifer and the boulder. "I dont know what that thing is..." he said before drawing his two swords from behind his back sheathes. "But its going to tell its friends that they're not welcome..."

And sure enough two more of these yellow and blue glowing... things arrived on the scene. Hurricane turned and looked. "Uh guys..." She tapped Jennifer on the shoulder and pointed. Jennifer just groaned.

"Oh, mother of god!"Hurricane tapped Jennifer on the shoulder and looked "Uh Jen... dearie, we got company. Hurricane stood up and Jennfier lifted her shirt a bit drawing two daggers. Throwing one it stalled one of them, but he started glowing more. Jennifer threw the other one at the thing and it stopped for a bit, before blasting a large blast of some sort of energy at Jen; knocking her back a good 30 feet into a wall.

Hurricane stood up in defiance, a gust of wind lifting her into the air. "That is just about enough. Crush rage, shame on you.. shoot Jen, shame on me!" She sent a gust of wind at the two beings that threw them up and through the roof.

The rock that encased Rage began to rumble a bit. A light emmited from under the light and soon Rage, with his glowing aura lifted the large boulder and threw it at the being that shot it. Vincent barely had time to backtrack before the destracted foe was crushed like an insect. "Dont fuck with me!" Rage announced. "COMEON!" He yelled.

Rayvin sheathed his swords again. "Comeon... there may be more of them." He said walking down the mall...

Jennifer was listening to a TV that was showing the news. She couldnt really listen. "What the fuck?" She couldnt believe it. "Guys..."

She ran over to the TV set, and the rest of the rogue warriors followed. The news reported tried her best to remain professional although shaken. "Three world monuments have been destroyed by, what we can confirm officially as extra terrestrials." The reporter continued. "The destruction started roughly about 8:30 AM when the sperical aircraft was reported hovering over Paris, a orange beam emmited from this aircraft and proceeded to destroy it. Then at rougly 2:45 this afternoon a similar aircraft was spotted over in India, The Taj Mahal was the second target of these terrorists. Than just moments ago, at 4:40 the white house was the latest target of these alien terror-"

The picture was cut off. And in its place stood a large man, his skin was blue he was a mammoth of a person. His muscled bulged out like they were seperate from his body. He had small spikes on his skull, his hands only had three fingers. He spoke with a machine like, sort of echoed voice. "Citizens of Planet 402631 or as you know it, Earth. I am Proseous. And I have one demand. Surrender your planet to the Alliance of Crisis. Or be assimilated. Your resistance will result in your death..."

And all of a sudden the screne just went blue. Jennifer just blinked. "Holy moly! What.. what are we gonna do?" The surrounding people of the mall were looking at them, for answers. A little boy looked at Rage. "You're going to stop those aliens... right?" Rage just smirked and nodded to the little boy. "You betcha'".

Rage looked over to Rayvin and Jennifer, who decided they would be the co-leaders of the team when they reformed. He raised an eyebrow. Jennifer just walked off and notioned for her team to follow her. "This is just great. Three world monuments destroyed in one day by a fascist alien dictator. We have to put a stop to this."

It was snowing in russia on this day in November. And there was a plan that they had to follow. The six men dressed in black stormed in formation upto a church. Duane Bannts, or Kindred as more commonly known was leading the new mutant task force he was apart of by force. Simply named "Team Omega". Duane looked back. A huge black man in a t-shirt, leather jaket and black jeans held an assault rifel. Behind him, two sleeker looking men in full leather body suits. Both with swords sheathed on their backs and jet black sunglasses covering their eyes. The last man wore a black cape and a similar black bodysuit. His gloves had metal bracers that ran up his arms.

Duane's hair wasn't cut but they made him dye it black, a look he didnt really like but wasnt in any position to argue about. He wore a mask that covered his eyes and went around his mouth. He had a custom leather body suit with two hip side gun holsters, a sword sheathe on his back and an ankle sheath for a knife. He wore a black leather trenchcoat overtop of the form fitting uniform. "Okay Boys... Our dog is inside that church, lets get this over and done with preferably sooner than later? Sound good?"

He looked at the large brick church. "Overhaul, get that rifel ready, hopefully we'll down this hairy fuck and get out of here in time to catch happy hour, eh?" The mammoth black man nodded and proceeded as swiftly as he was large, He positioned himself adjecent to the door. Duane looked to the two identically dressed men. "Hack, Slash, there is a window up there. I trust you two will be able to enter." They nodded and linked arms, then vanished from sight. The last man looked at Duane. "Im staying with you..." Duane groaned. "I do not need a babysitter." The large man who looked more like a superhero rather than a mutant covert-ops team member disagreed.

"General Lassiter's orders." The man said simply. Duane nodded. "Okay then Xander... lets get going." And he proceeded towards the door of the church. Using the communications radio they had uplinked in their suits. "Everyone in position?" he heard Hack and Slash give their confirmations. "Okay boys, we know the game plan, lets get this over with."

He looked to the Xander "After you?" However he shook his head. "This is your team to lead, Mister Bannts." Duane nodded with a groan. Looking to the door as he readied. "Team, ready... go!" He screamed as he kicked open the front door.

The creaky wooden door nearly fell of its hinges as result of Duane's thunderous kick. Inside the church it was empty, and it smelled moist... something was going on in this church and he didnt want to know about it. "Hack, Slash, come in..." he said quickly, notioning to Overhaul to check the left side, and for Xander to check the right as Duane progressed around the middle. "We've lost contact. Im going to check the upper levels."

Duane wandered behind the altar and crawled up the steps. He simply stalked up the steps. No matter how silent he tried to be, the old wooden steps would've allerted the presence of a ghost. He heard the yelling of two people as he recognized Hack and Slash, Slash flying at him as he crouched under him. Hack was trying his best to not be overwhelmed by the giant wolf-man. Duane drew his sword and stalked upto the werewolf. He was about to slash at it but its giant arm swung around and slammed Duane in the head, knocking him directly to the ground like a dart.

"He's on the upper fl-" was all he could get off before dodging a thunderous punch from the werewolf that caused his communicator to be crushed. Duane sat up but the Werewolf was leaping, thrusting himself through the wall. He yelled. "Overhaul! Rifel now!" Overhaul ran over to the hole left by the werewolf and he lined it up as it ran off at amazing speed.

"Now now fuzzy, just hold... still!" The thunderous blast from the rifel left a ringing in Duane's ears. Through the scope Overhaul watched as the Werewolf hit the ground, headshot, perfect. Duane looked "Hack, Slash... go check to see if its finished. We'll corall at our entry point. I believe this mission was a success."

Hack and Slash vanished again and appeared by the downed werewolf. Xander had his wrist to his ear. "Rendevous is waiting for us... apparently our presense is needed back at HQ." Xander said as he walked off.

Duane looked at Overhaul and sighed. "I really dont like that guy."

Overhauled shrugged as he put his rifel over his shoulder. "Well... I really like living. I'll put up with anybody as long as I get to keep doing what Im doing." Duane thought that only one person had a beter shot with a rifel than he did. Duane stood up and followed overhaul. As far as he was concerned, this first mission was a success.


	3. Chapter Two:I Like Lasers

Duane stood outside the pub. A large hole where the door used to be. People were fleeing the scene Duane had both guns in hand, across from him, a man in body armour, looked like a human tank, holding a missile launcher. Duane shot two guns worth of clips at this man, the bullets just pinged off the the armour.

"You're fucking kidding me."

The man in the armour chuckled and pointed his Rocket Launcher at Duane. He launched another Rocket at Duane. Duane saw the rocket coming at him in super slow motion, it was his power. Seing things in slow motion. He dived out of the way, the rocket contacting a car behind him. Creating a huge explosion. Duane got back upto his feet.

"You're really not a nice person. That car looked good."Duane looked at his watch, he spoke to it. "Bike, Armour." And his speed bike, suddenly became encaced in an practically indestructable armour. Duane looked at the man, he ran at him and jumped to tackle him. But The Tank, knocked him aside with a backswipe of his arm.

"You're a puny excuse of a mutant!"

The tank man stalked after Duane, leaving foot prints in the cement as he walked. "Im going to crush your bones into paste, and I'll make sure to spread your ashes into the ocean like im sure you wanted."

Duane looked at him, grabbing a foot long metal rod, it extended into about a five foot long staff. "I got one question for you... Do you like chicken?" He pointed the rod at him, and shot a bolt of lightning at the suit of armour. "Because you're gonna become fried like one!" He said as he shot another bolt, the man from the suit of armour let out a yelp of pain before falling over. "Cocky little bastard." He said standing up.

Police Sirens were heard off in the distance, Duane cursed as he walked back upto his bike. He unsummoned the armour and sat on his bike, turning it on and reving it up. He sped off before the police arrived. What he didnt count on was the fact that he was driving off the direction the police were coming. Seeing this they stopped him roadside. a group of police stood by their cars as one of the officers approached Duane.

"Excuse me Sir, you're driving pretty fast back there, and where's your helmate."

Duane groaned, the last thing he needed was a run in with the police. He looked. "Bar fights get pretty hasty around here, I was hoping to beat the traffic."

The cop smirked but looked more persistant to get this guy under arrest. "Bar fight? You sure do fit the description a witness gave us. He says a man, fitting your description, punched him in the face, threatened the life of him and his frends then when he left, nearly blew up the bar..."

Duane smirked, musta been that hick, he though. Looking at the cop "Listen, theres a guy back there, big, in green armour, bet you he'll answer all your questions if you ask him, just let him cool off first." Duane snickered.

The cop growled. "You're coming with me, please step away from the bike, get on your knees, hands on your head."

Duane complied with a sigh. The Cop handcuffed him and dragged him to the car, throwing him in. The cop smirked as it drove off. The cops eyes glowed a deep red. "Everything is going according to plan."

James sat on his bed, looking at the ceiling, sighing deeply. He just wanted to get all this overwith, so he could go back, working day to day, not worrying about solving problems of why The America's largest Mutant Defence team TMX, has gone missing, atleast 3/5ths of it has anyway. And he didnt have a clue if Duane was making any progress. A knock at his bedroom door he looked with a curious glanse. At the door was Jennifer.

"Whats got you all tied up in knots?" She asked with a slight smile as she walked in and sat beside him on the bed. "Listen James. We got Rayvin en rout to go look for Duane, we'll find him. Im sure he just forgot to check his com link or he maybe got out of that rut he was in and is back on duty. He cant stay away from that bike of his for too long. You know that."

James nodded. "Hmm, well, if Rayvin cannot find him, Im sure he'll come up with something. I just, you cant be too careful."

Jennifer smirked "Why are you so paranoid James, because TMX is 3/5th gone, doesnt mean they'd kidnap Duane, Why would they try to target a little rebel group, in nowhere canada like ours? Think about it James, you're the leader. Use the head that gets the job done, not the head that gets the chicks." She chuckled. "Rage is cooking dinner tonight, you sure you dont want me to order pizza." 

James nodded "Get a few hawaiians and peperoni's, Rage'll get over the fact that we dont like his cooking eventually."

Jennifer, "You got it Capitan."

Jennifer walked off and James sighed, "Hate it when she calls me capitan."

Kevin stood at the door. "Hmm, havin a bit of trouble with the lasagne, I umm, think its best we order out... and I think its best you dont go to the kitchen til... I call the plummer, probably the gas man, and... definately the maid."

James glared. "What did you do?" He said standing up and already walking to the kitchen.

Kevin smirked but followed with a stuttery talk. "Its not really a matter of what, I, what I did, its more a matter of, I was filling the pot when i yanked off the cold knob, and then I tried to put it back on so you wouldnt notice and water started spurting out, so I clogged that up with a cloth, and then the pipe under the sink burst, but I got that plugged up and turned off the switch so the water aint running anymore..."

James and Kevin got to the kitchen and James hands and eyes flared a green glow before they got to the door. The floor was covered in water, the pipes seealed by being crushed. The pot with the noodles was on fire, and the oven was smoking.

Kevin chuckled a bit and looked. "Im going to get the dry vac and start getting this cleaned up."

James looked. "The first good Idea you've had in 8 years."


	4. Chapter Three:Vampires In Florida?

The meeting room was about as boring as watching paint dry as far as looking at it was concerned. But the technology inside it was probably amoung the foremost of modern technology. The entire team was assembled. Hack, Slash, Xavier, Overhaul. They all waited patiently. General Lassiter too was waiting, however his patients was nowhere near as trying as any of the team-members. Duane walked in with a large folder. Deciding how he'd do it over most of the night. The fatigue and sheer lack of sleep showed with the large bags under his eyes. Handing a small few page booklet around to each person sitting at the table before he turned the holographic map screne to show a small section of the United States. Florida, to be exact.

"This is florida." Duane spoke rather sarcastically. Someone looked like they were about to make a comment he raised his finger to his mouth, before going on. "Now, the small vampire problem is in a small town here just outside Jacksonville." He looked at the map as it zoomed in more, focusing on 3 specific cities. "The big dot is Jacksonville. This little dot here, west of Jacksonville is Bryceville Florida, This is where our little vampire problem is currently trying to keep their rampant feeding under wraps. Failing misserably I might add." He pointed to a dot a bit further north of that. "This is Callahan, this is where we will initially house our operation."

He sat down. "Everyone with me so far?" The rest of the team nodded their compliances and Xavier just sat as if he fully resented everything in the room. Duane went on. "Now... I've crunched the numbers and if they've taken over the whole village or atleast established themselves, they've probably if not fed on the whole town at least taken it over. It's like a 4 street town for christs sakes."

Xavier spoke "Well.. what do you expect their numbers are."

Duane shook his head. "Even with these files you cannot be sure. The report stated, as I handed you that two clans of vampires from the Jacksonville area fled town and established themselves in this remote location. Im assuming to escape the restraints of the strict vampiric society that is usually set up in such a large area."

General Lassiter cleared his throat, a clear indication that he was next to speak. "What exactally do you plan to do, to eliminate this problem."

Duane nodded. "Well, see, this is a church town sir. We find the church, go off some angle of that like. Most likely FBI, Military related. Its likely someone will leak information. And they will be scared. We will have a house and vehicle, i cant see it being that large a drive. If it's neccecery, get a man inside and maybe start some inside corruption. But if this is a rebel defect. I doubt their intelligence will be very high."

"Do you really expect us to follow your brash underestimation of these Vampires Mr. Bannts?" Xavier spoke again with strict indignation.

The next to speak up was Overhaul. "Yeah Bannts, im not too fond of your stance with Vampires."

Duane shook his head. "Do you really think I became as feared as I am just because I knocked off a few high end officials in my day? Fuck no! Vampires are bullshit. They're like the bully in highschool. All bark, but no bite. If these vampires fled the safety and protection of their fellow kindred. Im highly questioning their intelligence. But by no way should we expect this to be a cake walk. But if we plan it correctly and perform it effeciently, we should be able to make a strong statement and have a successful mission."

General Lassiter looked. "Well... the initial plans are set all fine and well Duane. But I will need you to come up with a list of equipment that you will need supplied. And means of transportation."

Duane nodded. "Well, here, this is a list of all the things required for this to go off as i've invisioned. And I will need hopefully a house to stay in, and a vehicle. Hopefully a mini-van or SUV or something. Im not picky, just something that can hold all of us and our gear for when we make the drive."

The head hancho just groaned but kept his rather stone faced initiative. He started to walk off but Duanes voice cut him off once more. "And... I was hoping for some sort of air incertion, or is that too much to ask."

"Duane, we will get you the standard issue humpvee to gain access to Callahan, the house will be availiable. I need to get this arranged. Please just go furtherly breif your team. Or make any final preparations that you need to make."

Duane stood there, rubbing his head slightly. He didnt like this. Vampires were not naturally his favourite people to converse with. And when he intended on sending someone inside. It was fully him. Or maybe Xavier, he didnt understand why. But he really seemed resentful or something, Duane couldnt peice it together. Not that he couldn't sit down and ponder it. He just didnt give two shits about that guy enough to fathom why he would show such dislike.

He walked back into the meeting room, they were still all seated. Xavier got up and walked out of the room without a word or a glanse for that matter. Duane just raised an eyebrow but just sat down, looking at Overhaul. He looked. "He always so cheery in the morning?" 

"Heh, If by cheery you mean absolutely pissy. Then sure, whatever floats your boat. He's never really said much the entire time i've been apart of this." Overhaul's deep voice echoed throughout the entire room. Hack and Slash simply glansed at eachother and they both faded from the room. Duane shrugged.

"What's your story then?"

Sighing lightly, the large chocolate colored man rubbed his bald head and shrugged a bit. "Well... lets just say, an accident that I had inadvertantly caused, killed my family, and." His pause was lengthy he couldnt really figure out how to word it. "Well, a large sum of other people. This is keeping my ass out of jail and keeping me alive. Im thankful for it. What about you."

Duane Bannts probably understood more than anyone about not really knowing how to describe prior indescretions. He sighed breifly. "Well... in my earlier days as a merc. I was cocky, I felt invincible. I took on a big paying job. They were all big paying. Its like, once you get your name out. Every low life shithead wants you on the job. And they'll pay the most unreal sums of money to take out anyone that's even implimenting of getting in their way. I'd make more money in one job than most hard working people would make in two or three years."

Overhaul nodded, seeming strangely intrigued by Duane. But utterly disgusted in the same hand. "You were a hitman?"

"Bounty Hunter, Hitman, Merc, Contract Killer, there are many names for it. Anyway, I got this one assignemnt. John Apalain. Practically the presidents number one informer. Got so much dirt on this one mob boss that he forked me over 10 million bucks, to take him and his family out. It was gonna be such a hard job to do. But I had it all set up. It took alot of work."

Overhaul blinked now. "What was your plan?"

Duane nodded. "Well see... I did a fair bit of resurch on this assignment. He had a best friend who as another FBI agent, Owen Parsons. He was going to be my fall boy. It was supposed to be perfect, he would take the fall and There would be a family of 5 dead, a innocent FBI agent in jail and I would be 8 figures richer."

"So... you had a brilliant plan, framework planned and everything. Where did it go wrong?" Overhaul commented.

Duane nodded. "Well... I got pretty into it. Even kidnapped Owen Parsons, stole his gun and killed John. I had Owen on so many drugs im surprised he got out of it remembering his first name. At the time of the hit it especially made sense. Because they had a sort of animosity towards eachother. Thanks to me. Really amusing. I made it seem like his friend was sleeping with his wife. But when it came down to killing the rest of the family. I couldnt do it... The innocent man still went to jail. But I just ran and hid out."

"So in your moment of brilliance, so to speak. You just grew a concience and quit?" It was so confusing for him to grasp. Overhaul was a security officer. He never really imagined that people could contract kill like this. He couldnt believe that people like him existed.

"Well... yeah, and then I sank into a trend of vigilantism It made me feel beter for what I did. Hell... Even got with a group of friends. Helped them save the world. Remember when Team Mutant: X went AWOL, and there was that group of nobodies who saved the world from that evil sourceror. Well... I was one of the two of them who 'died'. Shame to hear about James though... Always happens to the best guys." Duane regretted all the thigns he did in the past.

Overhaul rubbed his chin breifly. "So... when was this kill?"

Duane nodded. "Heh, 9 years ago. Amazing I hid out that long... But the past catches upto you eventually, no matter who you are."

"No kidding man." Overhaul nodded. "Guess we all have our reasons. I dont like it here. But it beats arrogant fucks trying to make me their toy in jail."

Duane laughed a bit "I'd love to see someone try to make you their toy."

The grin that developed on Overhauls face was slightly scary. Not psychotic but definately as if he'd like it too. "Yeah, I'd pity that poor fuck."

Duane saw Overhaul and definately knew that he was tough. Duane knew he was tough but he could never imagine wanting to fight a guy the size of Overhaul. "So are you a mutant, Overhaul?"

Overhaul shook his head. "Nah, Just a gunman. How bout you?"

Duane nodded. "Yeah, even though its not as obvious as some." He looked. "I can see in slow motion. But I can react as if it wasn't slow motion. If that makes any sense. Like, remember that horrible trilogy of movies back near the beginning of the millenium, and there was all that bullet time bullshit. Yeah, its kind of like that."

Overhaul nodded. "Wow, thats impressive. But i've seen you in the gym, you could probably lift a good ammount of weight."

Duane nodded. "Im the maximum of human potential, courtesy of some freak accident. I can outsprint the fastest man, Out lift the strongest man. Jump the longest, Leap the highest. That kind of thing."

"So you're kind of like some, subtle superhuman? Or something." Overhaul questioned curiously.

Shaking his head he smirked slightly. "Trust me, im not superhuman at anything. Except maybe looks." He said confidently.

Overhaul looked "Heh, I see this endeavor hasnt checked your ego, unfortunately. Your 'looks' wont be tested very much. I've yet to see one female that hasnt been a target since I joined this operation."

Duane smirked but shrugged. "That's too bad." He leaned back in his chair and looked. "What about hack and slash, do you know much about them. They're not really much for talking."

Overhaul shook his head. "Nah, they just kinda keep to themselves. Apparently their brothers. They dress all masked up and shit, its quite hard to tell. And since i've never really seen them outside of missions. I couldn't tell you."

"Well, as the leader of this operation, maybe its required i aquaint myself with my teammates?" Duane mentioned rather humorously.

Sitting upright, Overhaul just shook his head. "I apreciate your motivation. But im sure Xaviers about as easy to get to know as a foreign person. And Hack and Slash arent quite the talkative type. But you know, do whatever you have to."

Duane just sat there for a few moments, grabbing a file folder he read it over. "Looking forward to the mission?"

Overhaul sighed. "Just the thought of vampires makes my skin grow goosebumps. I mean, they're pretty dangerous little bastards. The teeth and the whole, being alive but dead, like zombies but in a totally different mannor, its just really weird."

Smirking, he supressed a laugh as he nodded. "They're not exactally normal, thats for sure." Duane agreed with Overhaul. "But they're nothing to be scared of. I mean, Im a mutant so I guess going toe to toe with a Vampire isn't that strange. But either way, they're just pathetic beings with bloodlust. Trust me, I've seen you with that gun. Shoot them enough times in the head, they wont get back up."

The mammoth black man nodded. "I'll take your word for it." he continued. "Hey, Duane... This mission, I mean, I know it doesnt really matter. Because if we die we'll just be replaced. But, you're not leading us into something we cant beat."

Shaking his head slightly, Duane feared this was coming. "Listen, I mean. I know solo missions of cold blooded slaying, and group missions of... well cold blooded killing are a little different. But trust me man, I wouldnt lead us into some kind of death trap. I value my life a little bit too much for that. I dont know about you." He leaned in close. "But I plan on getting out of this place."

"That is dangerous thinking man." Overhaul replied breifly. "Noone's ever tried to escape and live to tell about it. Its suicide!"

Duane stood up with a confident smirk and walked towards the door. "Best get some sleep Overhaul. Tomorrow is going to be the start of one of many long days."


	5. Chapter Four:They Get Bigger?

Rayvin sat perched on the rooftops. If his city was overrun like this, he didnt even want to worry how the rest of the world was dealing with this matter. Sure there were mutant teams all over the world but were they as strung out over all of this as his squad seemed? Rayvin sheathed his swords and dropped to the street below. It was quiet. Not the re-affirming quiet that was good after a hard day. But the kind of quiet that made your stomache urk and your paranoia levels rise considerably.

Looking into an adjecent alleyway. He sensed it, leaping up off the garbage dumpster, off the wall then flipping onto the roof. Crouching he looked ahead, the screams, pleading for help on the empty street weren't exactally quiet afterall. A civilian, was panting as he must have just finished a very long sprint down the street. Rayvin could see the aliens in hot persuit.

"Stop human, your efforts are pathetic, you will not be saved. Submit to us." The alien called from a lengthy distance away but the voice echoed as if it was spoken right infront of Rayvin. He waited patiently. The man was taking a breather. He was wearing a suit. He'd most likely been running from the heart of downtown. His car could've been attacked or something. Rayvin wasnt a dietective, he just saved people, it was what he was best at.

The alien scum was closing in on the poor guy. He was scared shitless and watched as his oddly figured and different planet dwelling stalkers slowly moved in on him. Before like an angel, the white and red figure of Rayvin landed infront of him. Looking to him, Rayvin spoke only one word. "Run." And the man did just that, taking off as if he was granted a new lease on life.

The aliens stopped and looked at Rayvin, their suits reflected partially in the moonlight. Rayvin drew his swords and they too, reflected the moonlight. "You shall not pass..."

The alient drew his rifle but couldn't even respond to Rayvin as he persued forward, swiping his sword. He sliced the laser rifel into half, and drilled the alien with a thunderous foot to the face that sent the alien sprawling and eventually falling over. Its two accomplices were confused, but they progressed towards Rayvin.

Leaping he kicked one of the aliens and swung his sword, the satisfying sound, or lack their of, of the sword cutting through the aliens suit and flesh before it hit the ground mildly satisfied Rayvin. Definately nothing to compare to the smile Vincent grew on his face when his scythe dismembered someone. Kind of cryptic was Rayvins opinion of their cloaked partner.

The other Alien looked at his two fallen comrades. Rayvin sheathed his swords. "You going to give up? I'll fight you... no weapons." The alien obviously understood english, as he put his rifel away. Rayvin smirked, he knew that very few people could beat him in a one on one fight. One he was in love with, the other was dead.

The alien stepped forward. 'your first mistake.' Rayvin thought to himself as he simply stood their. The alien readied to take a swing. 'your second mistake.' Rayvin thought to himself again. Rayvin took the aleins arm and proceeded, as he yanked him to the ground to snap its arm like a twig. As the alien hit the ground. Rayvins fist collided with the alien and he just shook his head. "Strike three." Rayvin stood up calmly and continued down the street.

He let his pace of movement rise from a small walk to an all sprint. block by block the streets passed as he got closer and closer to the park. The entrance of the park was massive to Rayvin who'd just been sprinting the last fifteen or so minutes. He walked into the park entrance and began to search for Rage...

To call the industrial section of town 'classy' or even 'nice' would be a overbearing exaggeration. They smelled, they always smogged up the sky. They made possibility city look like the industrialization capital of the world. Not too many people lived around these parts but Hurricane, none the less had to make sure they were clear. She checked to see if there were any greenies running around and was kind of distraught to not have found any yet.

Setting down she groaned. Her outfit, the white suit, with cape was stained with the mud she landed in. Not that it was a big deal, she was no stranger to getting her hands dirty. She looked around, the petro gas plant had thousands of employees. But the parking lot was empty except for a few vehicles. But it was quiet. She didnt know weither she should check it out further or not, knowing that the rendevous in the park was soon.

She took back up into the sky and began flying into town. Noticing just on the outskirts where the industrial sector of town broke off and eventually became the residential and commercial section of possibility city. She saw what was clearly a group of aliens confronting a gang. And it was a mess. And despite the gangs numbers they were not faring too well.

She soared down towards where the fight was the strongest, sending a gust of wind to seperate them and hopefully stur the aliens into some seperate tactics. She screamed at the gang members "Run" They didnt really budge but there wasnt much she could do about it. The shots were fired and she simply flew out of the way. Sending a huge gust of wind at the aliens to scatter them about again. "Move it" She announced, helping them along with a subtle gust of wind.

Hurricane stood tall as the aliens got back to their feet, one by one. Looking as if they were just hit by a tornado. One stepped forward. "Surrender now and your assimilation will be painless."

Her remark was only a smile as she stood defiantly. "Make me."

Firing a blast at her with the laser rifel, one thrust of her arm and the wind took the laser blast off past her. "You cant win... surrender now and I wont kick your ass." She smiled. The alien dropped its rifel and charged her. She didnt even bother using her wind, tripping the alien, before it hit the ground she'd stood atop of it and snapped its neck with her legs. "Anyone for seconds"

As she turned back around, the remaining aliens seemed hesitant. "Oh, is this how your hipocracy works? Kick the strongests ass and you're queen of the hill" She smirked, using the wind to pick her up off the ground and drop her just feet away from the others. "Who's next" They all stood unsure of how to react. She took a step towards them, aggressively and they took a step back. She just smirked. "Come on, I'll give you first shot"

Waiting, one stepped forward and she finally smirked. Taking a swing at her, she ducked under it and kicked it in the back, as it fell to the ground she continued. Giving one a thunderous fist to the gut and then kicking the one beside it right in the face. Watching as she stood between 3 reeling aliens she stood triumphantly. A teasing gust of wind knocked one onto its face. She just smirked. "Enough..."

Soon she was lifted high into the air. And soon little cyclones began picking up the 3 battered foes. One cyclone ran the alien right into a car, knocking the car over and viciously thrashing the alien. Another cyclone carried its helpless captive into a power box, creating a cintilating light show for the alien, while pumping a large ammount of voltage through its more than likely uninviting system. The third cyclone carried its target into the side of a nearby building rather violently, leaving it in a messy heap.

Hurricane continued onward to the park. Flying effortlessly, using the wind as her chaprone, her carridge, her horse. Here winged avenger, her proverbial 'bitch' if you will. And it carried her as he continued to soar into the park.

The multiplex was massive, a huge complex that housed both the Possibility City soccer and hockey team. Not to mention a seperate theatre for stage plays and performances, a arena for equestrian competitions. A giant swimming pool. And a small shopping center. You name it, it was probably in this multiplex. Especially Aliens. And that was something Jennfier McNaulty was working on fixing.

She had broken into the multiplex and was now in the process of making sure that it was empty. They didnt need to take over one of the cities larger complex's, fortify it and start their own little base of operations. Not while she was on the watch. Her ear as keen as her eye she listened and watched. She heard footsteps, unifromed, in sequence and she as silent as the air she breathed progressed towards them.

Watching from the cover of a concessional stand. She saw the aliens progress by her, they had no clue she was there, and thats how she prefered it. She drew a dagger from her belt of daggers that sat on her leg. Looking, she counted, eight aliens, eight daggers. "Perfect." she wispered. Stepping back she leapt ontop of the stand and then threw the first dagger, the alien dropped like a rock, as did the other seven once she threw the rest of the daggers. Snickering she walked out to them and began taking her daggers back.

Looking up, she heard it, and unfortunately she saw it. About 14 more aliens, closing in on her position, and fast. Like the female flash, she took off. Just without the super speed and dorky red costume she sprinted to somewhere where she could. Unfortunately, she wasnt quick enough to get away without them seeing her. It was time for action and she knew it.

"You want me! You green fucks! Come and get me." She stood there, daring them, her hands filled with daggers. She was going to kill all fourteen of them. Running towards them she threw her first two daggers. Quickly emmersed in alien, she had two daggers, not throwing daggers, oh no. These were for stabbing, slashing and killing. Which is exactally what she decided she was doing.

She kicked one and proceeded to give him a nice wound right on his shoulder. Continuing she leg sweeped one and stabbed right through its leg, following up with a fierce uppercut that pretty much re-arranged one of their 'faces'. She slashed and stabbed her way through the group. And soon she stood in a heap, at her feet the fallen bodies of some 15 fallen foreigners from another planet.

She groaned, it was finally silence, which mean she cleaned up the multiplex. Exiting she groaned. Covered in bood wasn't something she was exactally a stranger too. But this wasn't normal blood. It wasnt even the right color. It just disturbed her even further, and she wasn't known for having a phenomenally strong stomache. And soon the contents of her lunch was public knowledge. To whomever decided they needed to investigate such things.

Jennifer got her self back and tried to ignore it as she took off, she wanted to get to the park and she was nowhere near it really. She took off for the downtown area. Knowing it was the easiest way to get to the park. And she was damn certain she'd run into more aliens. A interesting aspect that slightly scared her, given that she knew she was damn lucky to escape from that as unharmed as she did. But it excited her too because she wanted to cut up some more of their goofy asses.

She was determined. Jogging for the better part of 8 blocks now she stopped to a walk. She heard something, it was odd... A familiar voice but, it just stopped so suddenly. "Vincent" She said to herself. Sprinting to the sound, rounding the corner of a building, that was where she saw it. This was unlike the other aliens. This one was huge! Jennifer guessed mentally that it was atleast 8 feet tall. "Lets see how it likes daggers for breakfast." Jennifer stood as she drew a few dagger, and with one thrust of her arm, threw them all with a vicious velocity towards the monstrous foreigner.

"Catch" She screamed as she sprinted towards it. The daggers cut into the large beings flesh, sending it reeling a bit, but as she rant towards it, it turned around. Now that bright gun was pointed at her. "Sh" was all she could get out before she too was hitting the floor.

Rage sat on the damp grass of the park under the night time glare. Looking to the sky, he wasn't sure just how long it had been. Rayvin ordered the group meet at the park which he was convieniently done patroling. Rage had just sighed. He hadn't even seen one alien the entire time he'd ventured the large Possibility Park. Spar the pun, but Rage felt the possibilities ended at the park gate as he ventured into a world of boredom.

Rage stood up as he saw a shimmer of light off in the distance of the dark park. Compelled and probably overcurious he began walking towards it. But what he saw was definately not what he expected. To say 'it' was not what he expected would be shyly incorrect. As there were a few of them. They were 8 feet tall, monsters, definately not the weenie aliens that he'd seen on the news, these aliens were monstrous, with huge guns on them. Not their arms either, massive... beam cannons? Rage's imagination couldnt even begin to understand what it was.

Rage saw the cannon light up but soon the next thing he felt was himself hitting the ground and starting a nice crater trail as he was probably shot a good 25-30 feet. "Ouch... that almost hurt" He said dusting himself off, groaning to them as he glared. Flaring up as his rage triggered. "Thats right... BRING THE PAIN" He started walking back toward the giant monsters that had unknowingly taken down two of his friends.

The large beings spoke differently, fiercely, as if they were trying to scare Rage. Unknowingly surely to the giant foreigners they were trying to scare probably the angriest person on the planet. "Submit now and save being destroyed."

Rage just laughed. "Submit? Submit..." He walked over to a large tree, hugged it and single handedly yanked it out of the ground. "Submit this" He yelled in a fit of fury as he launched the tree at his three probable captors. Two of them simply avoided the large obstruction as the odd one out got trounced by the massive interloper.

Rage watched as it simply threw the tree off of it. "Is that all ya got" he screamed at the three adversaries. Looking as the odd one out got to its feet Rage groaned. "You want more" He stood his ground as they seemed to not do anything. Rage was agitated, afterall, they didnt call him rage for nothing. He slowly walked to them and soon as they shot at him he sprinted at them. Feeling no pain, only inflicting it. He grabbed the arm of one and swung the giant figure like a baseball bat with enough force to drop a skyscraper.

The one alien hit the other and it bounced off its large friend and soared through the park crashing into a cement wall that outlined the park. Rage continued to spin through his throw and proceeded to toss the alien he grabbed in the exact same direction, sending it crashing into, and collapsing a very large section of the wall as it hit it. Rage looked to the last alien. "You want some" He screamed, as the aliens cannon lit up, Rage took the blast and next thing he noticed the blast was deflected away from him as a small man jumped ontop of him

This small man was Rayvin, and Rayvin was proceeding to give him a nice sword to the back. Riding it as it collided to the ground, Rayvin withdrew his sword and sheathed it and walked upto Rage as his aura of power dissipated. Looking to his handiwork, or what's left of the wall. "Impressive? Anyone else show up"

"I could ask the same question." Hurricane walked upto the other two members of her team. Rayvin glansed around and looked to Rage. "Have you seen Jennifer or Vincent"

"Vinny and Jen have not been seen by me, sir" he said mockingly with a slight chuckle that ended right at Rayvin's 'this is not the time' look. "Sorry Ray, but seriously. I havent seen either of them. To be honest I was getting worried but then you guys showed up. Should we look for them"

Rayvin stood in thought. "We cant risk looking for them... I dont want to abandon them." He clicked the radio on his waste. "Jennifer, Vincent, this is Rayvin. Come In... Are you there" There was no response. They waited several moments before trying again. Still that produced no answer. "Well this is a predicament."

Rayvin looked around. "It will do us no good. We need to get to safe grounds, head back to headquarters would be a bit risky. Perhaps its time to go back to our headquarters on the outskirts of the city."

Hurricane looked "Is it really safe? Atleast we could fortify the downtown headquarters, and have a inside source."

"No, It would be too risky Hurricane. If we take our underground HQ back, we'll have a hidden headquarters where we could properly plan out to save Jennifer and Vincent." Rayvin intervened strongly.

"Assuming they've dissapeared." Hurricane replied quickly.

Rayvin had already begun walking off. Rage just sighed lightly looking all over the place, wishing he could find his friends. Hurricane too followed eventually.


	6. Chapter Five:Settin' Up Shop

Duane sat politely in the chopper, going over in his head just how this was going to go down. He wasnt sure how it was going to unfold and he wasn't sure how he'd complete this mission. Vampires werent exactally like a dollar store christmas shoping spree. They were sons of bitches and Duane knew this probably beter than anyone else. He looked around the chopper.

Across from him sat the enigmatic Xavier, silently, eyes closed and head down he looked emmotionless. Oddly enough like an old friend of Duanes, he couldnt quite understand why. Beside Xavier sat the equally as puzzling duo of Hack and Slash. The teleporters, they just looked so plain, in their 'ninja' gear as Duane called it. There were two FBI operatives in the chopper on assignment. Duane thought they would just get in the way but General Lassiter wouldnt have it any other way. And beside Duane sat Overhaul.

The chopper was just on the outskirts of florida and the pilot allerted them of it. Xavier stood up and the two FBI agents, Nathan Daniels and Perry Ingles both seemed eager and scared at the same time. Duane noticed this and spoke up. "Ever see a real vampire before boys?" They both just shook there heads."Well forget whatever the fuck you read in the books."

Xavier looked up "Leave the agents alone Mr. Bannts, Im sure they will learn on their own the dangers that vampires present." He said calmly before looking back out the window. Duane just shook his head. Soon the chopper was declining as it lowered into a small 'farm'. That was really a military outpost. The party exited the chopper into two outfitted hummers. General Lassiter stood between the two vehicles. "Team, I will not stress enough how make or break this mission is." He looked to the two agents, to his team and sighed.

"Duane, you're to treat these Agents as if they were part of your team. I dont want to find out you used them in any way other than what they're good at. And trust me, you'll soon realize they're more equipped for this mission than you'd realize. They're prospective agents and this missions success could mean very well that our program would have two more agents. And I dont need your recklessness to endanger them. Understood Bannts?"

Duane nodded and looked to his team. "This mission will be accomplished with professional efficiency and maximum proficiency." He said as if responding to a millitary general. General Lassiter looked at Duane skeptically.

"Bannts, drop the act. I dont care how much millitary training you have, mock protocol response again and I'll have your freak mutant ass looking like jesus on some sort of crusifix faster than any mutant you can think of." General lassiter got into the chopper and handed Duane a envelop and keys. "These are the keys to your house. All the information you've requested is in that envelope. I wish you and your team luck. Shovenism aside, you may very well need it." The general said before entering the chopper.

Duane put the envelope inside his trenchcoat pocket, then put the keys inside his pants pockets. "Hey, Daniels, Ingles, can you guys drive?" They both nodded. Daniels shook his head, smirking none the less. "Mr. Bannts... we're federal agents, Its practically a pre-requisite." Duane nodded and pointed to the hummers. One got into each and Duane looked to Ingles before he got into his hummer. "You, Xavier and Overhaul follow our hummer. Hack and Slash, you're riding with Daniels and I." All the parties nodded and got into their prospective hummers. "Lets head into town."

The hummers drove into Callahan. Their house was a small two floor house. Enough to house the entire team. Most wouldnt call the house small but for the ammount of people that would be staying in the house for the next little while. It was small. Duane walked upto, and unlocked the front door. "Home sweet home." He said sarcastically as he entered.

Duane carried his bag into one of the rooms. "Everyone get settled in. Make sure all our gear stays in the hummer except any essentials you may or may not need." He said looking around at the fully furnished house. It was like he stole it. Of course, the government worked fast when it wanted to or when it had to. "Daniels, Ingles, come here." He said looking at them as he leaned against a wall. "Tell me about yourselves."

"Agent Nathan Daniels." he started, he stood about 6'1" and was easly 200 pounds of solid muscle. A really well built guy. "I graduated from Harvard, of all places with a law degree. But then afterwards decided the federal agent seemed really cool. Im a blackbelt in karate and I've probably got the best shot with a pistol this side of mars."

Duane smirked "Hah, We'll have to test that theory sometime." he spoke. Shaking Daniels hand.

"What theory? The black belt, or the shot." Daniels replied casually.

"Either, they dont consider me the most dangerous assassin on the earth because my shooting hand's rock solid." Duane nodded, looking to Ingles now. "And you?"

Peter Ingles looked alot more like a solider than an agent. He had to easly stand 6'5" and was probably just as built. "Agent Peter Ingles, Ex Marine and Special Ops' core. I was best in class in all my courses and I was recommended by General Lassiter himself."

Duane nodded. "Marines eh? Looks like all three of us have something in common then. We're very good at what we do. Make yourselves at home guys. As long as you're a member of this team. I expect you'll watch your own back but keep an eye on everyones back as well. everyone watches out for everyone on this team."

Duane walked up the steps and Overhaul was looking out at the back yard. "They sure dont go on sublety points with this do they Duane?" Duane walked upto the window and looked as well. The backyard was huge. And with a swimming pool to boot.

"Heh, I could get used to living here. Shame we've got a mission. I smell a house party." Duane smirked, laughing lightly.

Overhaul shook his head. "Drink Alcohol and you might as well had shot yourself Duane. It's like the largest no-no the operation has. I believe the handbook you discarded had a two or page section on the major do not's of this entire shindig."

Duane just nodded. "Not to worry. I understand that if someone was under any sort of influence they would be nothing but a liability out in the line of work. Trust me dude, I've got it all under control. Go get settled into a room and just relax. Our time period is indefinate, I dont plan on our first run-through until tomorrow anyway."

He turned around, noticed one of the hack and slash duo, he hadn't quite figured out how to tell them apart, looking at him, just standing there. Duane raised an eyebrow and walked down to the basement, where the room he claimed was. He saw Xavier unpacking into the other room in the basement. "Looks like we're going to be sharing the basement, eh Xavier?"

Xavier looked up, and it was like the room chilled 10 degrees as he looked to Duane. "Go away Bannts." Was all he said. Duane just shrugged lightly and began unpacking his bags.

Seperating all his belongings into different organized piles. Clothes, gear and essentials. The clothes held different things like jeans and other on mission and casual wear. The grar was obvious, his two pistols, his sword, and other things that he'd take with him on missions. In the third pile he had his simple things, shampoo and razors and deodorant. He wasn't a caveman afterall. And even though he was dead to the common public and only the most important officials knew that he wasnt didnt mean he was gonna throw his personal hygene into the trash.

Duane layed on his bed and stared at the ceiling wondering how his friends were doing. They were probably fine, living life as if nothing bad at all went wrong. Duane began thinking if he could find a way to see them one more time...

"Fuck, If Duane or James were here we'd probably be alot beter off! Not to shoot down your leadership skills Rayvin but you just dont punctually put it exactally how it is like James did, or shoot down that remark with some subtle witty remark like Duane would have. I mean, Im witty, or something, but I mean its like whatever. I dont really care enough to tell you down." Rage said as he looked through their old extra base. In horrible shambles.

Rayvin just shook his head. "Your tact is amazing." As he sorted through some materials. "I cant believe that giant skirmish left so much wreckage."

Hurricane just smirked. "Dont underestimate the destruction power of a small asian ninja." She chuckled lightly.

Rayvin smiled. "As much as I'd love to take the honor. I dont believe that I helped very much in the making of this carnage." He said as he walked through the double doors. Looking at the inside it was almost as bad as it looked in the entry way. "We've definately got a mess to clean up."

Hurricane smirked. "Luckily we've got a human vaccum cleaner."

"I'd thank you not to mock my eating habbits." Rage said offhand as he looked inside.

"As much as you're dear to my heart Rage." Hurricane said somewhat sarcastically. "Im not talking about you for once."

A tunnel of wind began to pick up as the double doors were pried open by the wind first then all the excess garbage and junk was carried out by the wind. Rage propped himself against a wall and Rayvin stood dextrously on the ground. Hurricane began to hover a foot off the ground as the wind whistled by her. Taking out all that was unneccecery and skattering it amoung the ditch that housed the dranage pipe that they used to access the hideout.

"Subtle... but we may have needed some of that stuff Hurricane." Rayvin said off hand as he continued to wander the old hideout.

Hurricane just smiled as she followed Rayvin. "Chances of that aren't very likely Ray." She looked around. "Its going to take alot of work to fix this up."

Ravin nodded. "Well... Atleast we have a computer wiz here. Rage will get to work, making sure our computer is up and running so we can atleast get an idea of where Jennifer and Vincent were when they dissapeared. As even if they destroyed their radios. We'll be able to know where the signal stopped."

Rage walked over to the computer. "Yeah, I'll get right on it."

Rayvin walked into his bedroom of the abandoned headquarters and sat down on the bed. He didnt know why but for the first time he felt helpless. Without anywhere to turn. He just sighed as he stared blankly at the wall. Hurricane was quick to find him sitting there, she stood in the doorway and soon joined him, sitting down on the bed.

Rayvin looked into her eyes, and she saw it too, the helplessness that he felt. Rayvin spoke slowly. "I dont know how they did it. How James could have lead this team during the times we've faced. Im not cut out for leading. Im good when someone needs imput. But now I feel like the whole team is lookng to me for the answers I cant come up with."

Hurricane just hugged him. "Rayvin. You're a good leader. We'll find Jen and Vincent. And we'll stop these aliens. Okay? I know we've lost alot. But who knows. There are alot of hero's out there if you want to find new guys to make up for who we've lost. Right now its 3 of us. Maybe another wouldn't be that bad an idea?"

Rayvin looked. "I dont know... Rage is really bad at trusting people as it is. Im surprised he warmed upto Vincent as quickly as it did. And most super-teams dont have dark spirited scythe weilders on their side."

"Behind his brick-like exterior. Vincent is a sweetie." Hurricane smiled. "Rage is a good guy too. You just gotta get to know him. Im sure he could get along with anyone we find. There are alot of mutants who want to do great things with their powers. We could hold an invitational or something."

He didnt feel to optimistic about that. "Not at a time like this. If we find someone we'll see. But for now, its just the three of us. And we'll figure this out. Once Rage has that computer up and operational again we'll be on our way to finding Jennifer and Vincent."

Hurricane smiled "I respect your judgement Rayvin. But we dont know what we're getting into."

"Regardless, we have a practically invincible hulk on our side, a ninja, and the most beautiful wind goddess. Who could stop us?" Rayvin smiled and Hurricane blushed lightly. Leaning in to give Rayvin a kiss, the moment was broken up by a loud crash and the ensuing explative being screamed by Rage.

Standing up Rayvin was almost anticipating it as he head out to the main room. Rage glowing lightly and blinking. "Fuck sakes. This peice of shit fuck you you mother fucker, fuck you!"

Rayvin blinked. "Is this really neccecery?" And Rage shook his head looking to Rayvin. "The thing is so broken, even I cant fix it. We're gonna either need to re-purchase one, which Im going to have to believe is out of the goddamn question. Or we are going to have to brave it back into our main headquarters to get parts from that computer."

Rayvin sighed lightly. "Well Hurricane..." he spoke as he looked back down the tunnel entrance, to the exit of which they came in back into their abandoned sanctuary. "It appears we'll have to venture back into the city anyway."


	7. Chapter Six:Dont Start Anything

Sitting around the oak dinner table, Duane, Overhaul, and Xavier all ate breakfast. Duane raised an eyebrow. "So do Hack and Slash operate on frequency with normal beings?" Just then, a woman walked out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel and a towel over her hair, looked to the three men, before dashing off to the room. Duane blinked. "Okay... what the fuck?" Duane raised an eyebrow. 

"That was Slash." Xavier said calmly. "What Duane, an esteemed 'womanizer' like yourself couldnt tell that under the very tight leather suit that the twins wear, that they were girls?" He nearly smiled but spoke so bitterly that his words were spoken as if to insult Duane's intelligence.

Duane replied rather impartially, probably could have been taken more-so as apathetic "I knew they were twins but... not really that they were girls. It's not exactally something I go out of my way to find out." Although he definately felt like it was something he'd go out of his way to find out more about.

"Anyway Duane." Overhaul spoke up. "What exactally is your plan? Today we need to take action, we only have a short timeframe for this."

Bringing some eggs to his mouth, Duane didnt bother to finish chewing before he started talking. "Well... Vampires like to travel in groups, and this village has to be big enough that they can feed and overpower them as well. I think that we should go in there. Lure a small group of them out. And fuck them up quite franctly."

"You realy expect them to fall for that?" Xavier replied. "They're Vampires, not sharks."

"Yes, and like sharks." Duane continued. "They are lured to blood." He finished what was on his plate then stood up. "You see... we lure them out. A damsel alone on the street makes the vampires figure, easy prey. Then two or three, or all of us jump out. We bust up two or three of them. Just to send a message."

Overhaul was the first to speak up. "I dont really like the sound of that." 

"Why not?" Duane quizzically spoke. "You're a big guy. Im sure you can manage yourself in a fight. Dont believe those silly vampire tv shows. Not all vampires can throw a guy like a football. Its quite the opposite. Vampires possess unique and interesting abilities much like mutants or some aliens. Trust me. We can take a few vampires."

Xavier looked at Duane. "You're a fool. You dont know anything of what you're getting us into. What if somebody is to get hurt."

Duane shook his head. "Well, i thought it was common sense but if we need to point it out. Dont pick any fights you're sure you cant win." He loaded his plate into the dishwasher. "Finish up, we've got a small meeting before we make our first venture into town."

It was roughly fifteen minutes before anyone else joined Duane in the living room. It was overhaul, dressed like he was ready for a war. Xavier, then hack and slash, all arived in their uniform that would be originally described as status quo.

Xavier, as if on que was the first to speak up. "You're dressed like you're ready to go to the beach." His words were critical, and they clearly and obviously meant to be insulting.

Duane stood up and smirked. "Well, I suggest you all do the same."

"Are you crazy?" Xavier responded.

"Most days... you could be the judge. But there is a method to my madness." He said.

Overhaul looked curiously "Do you want us to go get changed Duane?"

Duane nodded and Xavier somewhat snapped a reply. "And what exactally is the sudden need for all this casual attire."

Duane looked "Well, you can go in with your sword on your back, paint a huge fucking target on your back Xavier. But dont come crawling back to big daddy duane when you're getting ass-fucked by two vampires who decided to have a little fun before dinner time."

Xavier gave duane a cold stare. Overhaul left to change and soon after Xavier decided to do the same. Duane looked at hack and slash. "Do you two have any clothing you could consider normal?" They just nodded, and vanished. Duane stood around, he clapped his hands and nodded. "Okay good team, we'll um meet at the humvee, okay?"

Duane stood up against the hummer, his long black hair flowing in the wind. He wore a white t-shirt and a lengthy pair of khaki shorts that hung to just over his knee. First was overhaul to walk out, the mammoth black man wore a black tank-top and a pair of bluejeans.

Next to walk out was hack, or slash... he wasnt sure. She had short black hair, but her bangs hung down over her eyes, She wore a black T-shirt and a skirt that went about knee length. She just stood there kind of shyly. Then the other twin walked out, wearing a blue t-shirt, and a pair of bluejeans. Her hair though was long and black. Duane instantly deducted that this was the one who walked out of the bathroom.

Last was Xavier, wearing a unique button up shirt, and some black pants. Duanes team was assembled. "Okay, some ground rules. Number one: Dont start any fights. Okay? We need to just get ourselves aquainted with the town, maybe set up shop in an inn or something. Okay? Just so we can see what this little village is like. The Vampires wont venture out till night, thats when we'll hit the bar. Rule Number two: and I stress this very much. Do NOT under any circumstances draw any extra attention to ourselves than we need. I locked up my precious Desert Eagles in their cases. I'd ask you all bring no weapons, we're just passing through town. If anything, the more insignificant we make ourselves seem, the beter."

Xavier shook his head. "Yet, a large back hummer will make them notice us so much less."

"Sarcasm? Wow, and I was starting to think annoying was your only tone of voice."

Xavier stepped forward but overhaul stopped him. "Cut it out. Listen, I dont know much about killing or even anything 'bout vampires. But we gotta keep solid as a team. The hummers are the only thing we got. We just cant bring any odd attention. Nothing that would give away why we're there."

Duane nodded. "Exactally. Hell, if anything, the less significant we make ourselves out to be. The easier it will be to make the vampires consider us as a target. Now everybody in. Any questions I will answer on the way." Duane walked around the front seat of the vehicle and once everyone was seated and ready. He pulled out of the driveway.

Vincent and Jennifer were being kept in one cell on the spaceship that the aliens were using as their base of operations on earth. Jennifer was so tired, she hadn't slept since she woke up. And Vincent, well he never looked like he slept in the first place. Jennifer looked like she had no hope as she sat there. "They're never going to save us. We're screwed. So fucking screwed!"

Vincent looked to her, but said nothing. Vincent just sighed. And sat down on the same bed. He'd been having weird visions. But not like he usally had them. Usually his visions we're quick vignettes, short's of what was to come. But these dreams were like major motion pictures in his brain. And so far they'd all come true.

Jennifer looked "How can you be so none compliant. How the hell can you seem so apathetic?"

Vincent shrugged. "I've lost all I ever cared about. Until you and the group came along. Really, I'd had no reason to go on from day to day. Other than to make sure that what was right in the world stayed that way. I could care less if I die, or if anyone dies for that matter."

Jennifer blinked. "What do you mean?"

Vincent blinked and looked at her, not replying right away, within a few moments he looked away. "Nothing.."

Sitting closer to Vincent, Jennifer looked curious now. "What? You can tell me, im your friend Vincent."

He shook his head. "No, its nothing, dont worry about it." Vincent spoke quickly, trying to get off the subject of him. Jennifer wasnt giving up.

"Vince, its okay you know." Jennifer tried to be friendly about it but Vincent wouldn't budge. She just shrugged. "Sorry... You dont have to talk about it if you dont want to."

She sat down, defeated after their little verbal skirmish. And sighed. "When you said you lost everything you ever cared about. It just kinda, made me realize how I felt about myself. I mean, I've only ever loved two men. And both of them died that night, when we beat Deftain."

Vincent raised an eyebrow. "James I know, but who else?"

Jennifer smirked and tried not to cry but she couldnt hold her tears back. "Well, only a few people know this, and ... two of the three of them are dead. But back in highschool. Duane and I dated, he was my first love you know. Highschool sweethearts. We dated for a good 4-5 years. But one night, I kind of cheated on him, then he cheated on me and then it just escalated and escalated. And I didnt see him again. Until..."

Vincent now seemed very interested. "Until when?"

Jennifer rubbed the tears away from her eyes. "The day I joined the team... Kind of a bad day, I remember it exactally. You see, I'd ran into Lauren, who was James's ex wife... thats a long story in its self. But anyway, she and I were friends in high school. Then she introduced me to James, a man she met at college. Who was head of this super-team.

Now at the time of course, i wasn't any hero. Infact, I was earning a living making small crimes and meaningless roberies. A dime here, a dime there right. But I joined them, feeling doing good would make up for doing bad. And heh, I walked into that headquarters for the first time."

Vincent was interested. "What was it like for you?"

"It was good at first, it was all so surreal. Like i was living in a comic book or something. Then I saw him."

"Duane?" Vincent questioned.

"Yeah... He looked at me, and I remember his exact words, it was like his last words to me, previous to this event. "Who the fuck forgot to throw out the trash."

Vincent blinked. "Harsh..."

"Compared to what he called me in the past... not really." Jennifer continued. "See, Duane and I, after that event still remained pretty good friends, after we were forced to sit down and have a talk... which ended up being more than a talk. But yeah, we both decided that it was long past due break up sex." She laughed a little bit, shaking her head. "And then we were okay after that. Duane was back to his wise cracking but skilled ways and I was back to doing what I do best."

Vincent nodded. "So... Duane and James." He shook his head. "Two birds with one stone."

Jennifer looked at him angrily, snapping her neck up, but took a deep breath. Assuming he didnt mean it as cruely as it came out. "In a cryptic way, yes."

"Eh... I was fourteen. And, I mean, I was by no way a popular kid in high school. But my girlfriend, she was the most beautiful creature that god could have ever fathomed. She was so perfect, so angelic, so... brilliant. And, we walked home from school one day."

It was Jennifers turn to listen. And she did, intently. Knowing Vincent was telling her something that he'd probably not told many people, if anyone. But she smiled deeply on the inside. To know he was confiding in her.

"She walked ahead, I had to tie my shoe... and I had this vision, my first precognative vision. It was so blurry... it was someone, walking onto a road... and just a quick snap then I was looking up and it was like an instant replay. She was walking to cross the road. I stood up but that snap was the sound of her body being hit by the speeding transit bus... I'll never forget what It looked like to see her body contort and bounce off the bus like it was a marionette or somehing."

Jennifer blinked. She had no idea, she looked to him. "Vincent, I am.. wow, Im so sorry."

"Apologies are pointless at this point. I've killed ,and i've killed, and i've killed. All to avenge her. To right the world of its wretched darkness. All to realize, at this very moment, as I sit in this cell. That i've done more bad than ever before I started. I've done nothing." Vincent spoke somewhat passionately of his little epiphony

"Now thats not true!" Jennifer spoke quickly. "You were a main reason we stopped deftain. If we never would have found you. Its very probable that the world would be ruled by a psychopathic wizard at this moment."

Vincent sighed "Yeah, but the aliens would still be attacking. No rights have came from this."

"Hey! It wouldnt be our problem if you didnt help. And we're going to solve this problem too Vince! Just have hope!"

Jennifer was optimistic her friends would find them, and free them. And save the day. Vincent just sighed. All he wanted to do was cry. He'd lost everything and now he felt like the efforts he took to rid the world of the demons and the evil that plagued it was so pointless, because of the way he did it, it made him no better than the small time goon, or the big time crime-lord. Either way, both of them sat in their cell and contemplated the future. One with slightly optimistic hopes of the future, the other with regret and sorrow filled inside his soul.


	8. Chapter Seven:Lights Out

Driving into the village, you may as well have scripted it from a spahgetti western. There was nobody, the roads were crap, even some garbage was blowing across the street. Overhaul sat in the front seat with Duane. In the back, Xavier sat behind overhaul in the right and Hack and Slash, only seperatable by their clothes and hair, were sitting beside Xavier.

"Wow, we're really in vampire central." Xavier commented agitatedly.

Duane shook his head. "Its 2:30 in the afternoon, moron."

Overhaul shook his head in turn. "You two, cut it out before I shit kick both your bony white asses."

Duane looked "There's the inn."

It was an inn alright, it looked like the kind of hotel, you know the ones. Where you'd buy the room and get a hooker too. Thats what Duane felt like. Almost entirely reconsidering his decision. But, regardless he pulled upto the inn that looked abandoned more or less. Except for the fact that a really old and really wore down station wagon sat in the parking lot by the office.

Duane looked "Who's all coming in? Seperate rooms?" He nodded to himself in agreement. "good." He walked towards the office. The hotel imminated the strong smell of marijuana. Not surprising really. Its murkey grey discoloration was only noticable behind the fact that most of the paint had chipped away, or in some cases been vandalised over.

He walked into the office and groaned. The incandescent light was placed horribly and made Duane feel like he was walking in a 80's horror film. He rang the bell on the desk, and a younger man, about mid twenties Duane guessed walked out. He looked like he just pryed himself out of bed, and the one working fan blew his hair and only illuminated that fact. "Can I help you?"

Duane blinked. "Yes, I'd like to get 4 rooms please.

The man blinked. He hesitated for a moment and leaned in real close. "You sure bout' that? Havent you heard the rumors?"

Duane looked curius as he blinked. "Well we're just travelling and we've been driving for about 20 hours. I thought we'd camp here. Is there something wrong with that?"

The man shook his head. "Nah, 4 rooms for the night will cost you about 80...err, times four. Umm."He really seemed to be struggling with his math.

Duane wasnt about to do his math for the man. He just handed the man 500 dollars in hundred dollar bills. "Will this do sir?" he asked naively. Putting on quite the act.

The man took the dollar bills happily. "Yes sir. Thanks, er, pleasure to be doin buisness with you." He handed him four keys. Rooms 101-104. There ya go. Hope you enjoy your stay.

Duane thanked the guy and walked back to the hummer. Handing Overhaul 101, Xavier 102, Hack and Slash were to share room 103 and he kept room 104's keys. "Okay, here's the plan, we'll walk the town, everyone be careful, even though its daytime. We dont know what we're getting into here. Once you feel you know it well enough. Come back to your hotel room, 10:30 we'll be hitting the bar. Okay? We'll do out hit and run, and then prepare our second strike back home tomorrow. Sound good?"

Everyone nodded. Duane took the keys out of the ignition of the hummer. Everyone got out of the hummer. "Yo, Duane, mind if I tag with you?" Overhaul asked Duane curiously. Duane nodded. "freetime til 10:30." He said tapping on his watch with his index finger.

Duane and Overhaul took off down the street. The roads were so empty, it was virtually as if a ghost town had came to life, and took its stake right here. Overhaul looked to Duane. "Im nervous about this man."

"We all our, denial of our fear is what gets you killed." Duane replied quickly and calmly.

"I understand that. But I mean, these are vampires we're up against. What if they got them familiars, you know. Like in blade?" Overhaul asked curiously.

Laughing a bit, Duane just smirked. "Yeah, dont worry. If the vampires have any familiars, then we'll find out about the vampires sooner than later."

Overhaul looked curious now. "Huh? Is that supposed to be a good thing or something."

Duane grinned. "Well... I mean, I am technically dead right. And they dont know it. But would you want the worlds most dangerous bounty hunter on your ass? Vampire, Mummy, Mutant or Diplomat?"

Overhaul smirked. "Well... If he was dead, I wouldnt care."

Duane nodded. "Exactally."

Overhaul laughed a bit and shook his head. "You realize you... cant really make a name for yourself. They pretty much cover up anything we do that would make public news anyway."

Duane shook his head. "So much for that." he said sarcasticaly.

The street they were walking down was peticularily empty. More or less deserted was a beter description. The roads were dusty and buildings looked empty and unused. This town was small. Duane assumed that not 100 people lived here before the vampires arrived on the scene. And those that weren't killed were too scared to leave their houses, and Duane definately couldnt blame them for that.

Overhaul was slightly intimidated by the emptiness of the small town. How bad were these vampires? He'd never seen vampires. Only ever thought they were myth until he joined the team. After seeing his first Werewolf he was still skeptical. But once that superteam that Duane used to be a part of ended that mage's little terror run. Overhaul was all for the idea that even Vampires existed.

They made a lap around the small village. It took all of 40 minutes unfortunately. And then they made the walk back to the Inn, a place Duane would much rather be out of than in. It looked like a prison, and smelled like old cheeze. But Duane set up shop contently none the less. Opting to risk it and take a nap until 9:00 rolled around, that way he would be at full energy for the big night.

Waking up to the rather frustrating sound of his alarm clock. Sitting up he just groaned lightly. He had a plan and he had to make sure that it went off without a hitch. He arrranged a small meeting with his crew. They all stood or sat in his hotel room. "Listen... Im going to be doing a bit of role playing tonight." Duane spoke calmly. He was wearing his long black hair in a pony tail. He had a fleece pullover zipped all the way up, his sunglasses rested calmly on his head and he wore some blue jeans. "Im sure I hardly come across as intimidating."

"Other than the fact that you're a physically large person?" Xavier raised a curious eyebrow. "You cant hide your muscle behind a silly sweater and a pony tail." he continued.

Duane nodded. "True... but either way. Vampires are very confident. And if I give off the fact that I am a tourist, and im visiting the village for the day. I'll probably be a very tasty treat for two or three of them.

Overhaul looked curiously as he stood, arms folded as he stood. "What about us? what do you want the rest of us to do."

Shrugging as he paced the hotel room, Duane looked to them. "You guys can do whatever you want. Have fun, drink, be merry. But You'll know, by the time I leave, hopefully we'll have attracted some attention from the right people."

He thought to himself. "Hack and Slash, I want you two to be on ambush. Your teleporting is very valuable for surprise attacks. And if we find ourselves outnumbered. It'd be excellent for evening up the score."

Xavier looked "Well, what is your exact agenda then? This hardly seems organized."

"This is more or less for informational. How they act and how they deal with said situations. Im sure they'll be very curious once a few of their own dissapear tonight." Duane nodded.

"We cant just go in there asking for the fanged fuckers?" Overhaul asked curiously. "It'd be alot simpler dont ya think?"

"No... Vampires are usually very brave. But in a town like this, they've probably scared the people they havent vamped or ghouled. And we wont get a very large response. Trust me, if we play it low key, look feeble and like we wouldnt be missed. They'll take our bait. The less significant we look, the beter." Duane nodded. "Now, everyone know what they're doing?"

The group nodded and they soon departed. Hack and Slash returned to their room. Xavier, Duane and Overhaul all started their walk to the local bar. Duane was the first to walk in, Xavier dressed rather casually compared to how he usually dressed, and Overhaul in a simple jeans and a T-shirt, a large portion of the bar looked over at them, as they were not regulars to the bar, or the town.

It was a typical small town bar. Nothing too flashy, the bar counter was lined with stools few occupied. In all there was probably about 25 or 30 people in the bar. Duane walked upto the bar counter and he got a beer. Xavier sat at a table in the back corner of the bar and Overhaul walked over to the dart board and began playing darts.

Duane looked to the bartender. "So what's there to do in this town?" 

"Not much to do, this towns more or less a truck stop. You new in town?" The bartender replied.

"Just passing through, staying the night." Duane replied casually. "Nice little set up you got here."

The bartender only nodded. "Yeah, we have nice days."

"What about the nights?" Duane asked casually. The bartender looked up but said nothing immediately.

"This bar's the only thing in town as far as nightlife is concerned." was his careful reply. Duane noticed this and drank his beer. Looking around the bar. There were people dancing, chatting, seemed like the usual small town bar. Vibrant and lively to contrast a seemingly none existant lifelyness during the daytime hours. Greatly unusual as far as Duane was concerned.

Overhaul was shooting darts, and he was surprisingly good. Duane took his beer and walked over. Looking to him. "You're pretty good at darts man."

"I used to be 'professional'. Like those guys on ESPN2. I made a fair bit of coin before I became a security guard." Overhaul spoke proudly. Trying to remember that what they did was top secret.

Duane just nodded. "A friend of mine, she'd probably give you a run for your money."

Overhaul smriked "She?" 

Duane nodded. "Yeah, old friend. Lets just say she's a natural."

Xavier watched from the corner, wondering how he ended up in this mess in the first place. He watched intently on a group that sat in the bar at a table in an adjecent corner of the bar. They seemed to have their eyes on Duane, not in any sort of safe way. But he would only sit as instructed for now. As much as he disliked Duane, he respected General Lassiter enough to have selected Duane because he was the best for the job, despite Xaviers desire to have Duanes position. He was sure that in due time that Duanes brash ego and action would get him removed from the squad and Xavier would take his rightful place as the leader.

The bar was relatively boring and didnt really start emptying until about 2:30. Duane and Overhaul eventually grew bored of Darts, and moved onto Pool. Xavier had noticed but didnt bother mentioning that the same group of people at the one table hadn't moved unless for obtaining drinks or going to the washrooms.

Duane yawned and looked to Overhaul and Xavier nodding twice then announcing to Overhaul "Well I guess its time we head back to the hotel, long day of driving ahead of us." Looking over to the bartender. "Thank you for your hospitality sir."

The bartender nodded and Duane and Overhaul left. Xavier smirked to himself as if he'd seen it coming. The group at the other table got up and left after them. Xavier just waited before he too was exiting the bar.

Duane and Overhaul walked along the damp street. It must have rained during the time they were in the bar because the roads were damp and the moonlight reflected off of the wet surface. Looking behind him he noticed a few following him, looking to Overhaul he smriked "Bingo." which resulted in Overhaul also glansing.

Duane slowed down on purpose to allow the group to catch up. Once they did Duane got a good look at them. One was a very large man, bald wearing a denim jacket over a dirty t-shirt and muddy bluejeans. The one to his left was wearing what appeared to be cammo's and combat boots with a black t-shirt. A little too redneck marine for duane's liking. The other two had to be twins, bout 5'7" short guys, wearing one a blue t-shirt and the other a long sleved white shirt. Both wearing blue jeans. Duane looked at them. "mornin' gentlemen." 

One grunted. "You enjoyin' our small town?"

Overhaul smiled and nodded. "The bar was nice."

"Noone asked, nigger." replied the largest one. Overhaul took great offenee to this and stepped upto him. Duane didnt bother stopping him.

"What did you call me!" Overhaul became very close in, not quite as tall but definately big enough to stand upto the brute. The brute gave a slight grunt. Opening his mouth bearing his fangs. Overhaul did his best to act intimidated. "What the fuck?" was all he said before the brutes arm swung, hitting Overhaul clean down the road.

Duane blinked looking, "What the hell are you guys!" He said taking a few steps back.

The one who looked like he just finished fighting a war lead them as they persued Duane. "We're Vampires, you patetic human. And we run this town."

Duane blinked "Vampires? they're... they're real!"

The twins this time spoke "Thats right, what are you gonna do... run?" and in the blink of an eye, they were behind him. "There's nowhere for you to go." And the brute approached Duane and picked him up, throwing him into a nearby car. Duane winced violently, seeing Xavier take his time to approach. And then looking over to Overhaul who was taking his time to stand up. Duane forced himself to his feet. "Are you guys always so eager to take down what looks so easy?" He said unzipping his fleece pullover. His pistols sitting in their rightful shoulder holsters.

The vampires paused ."What are you? Brave?" the one wearing the fatigues looked curiously. Duane stood up and smirked. "You ever hear of mutants fuck face?" He could see it, the two fast ones making their move again, his vision thankfully slowed them down and he drew his guns and took four quick shots with his pistols. The bloodspray was as if a red spraycan exploded if you set it on fire, and the two, now hopefully re-dead corpses layed motionless on the ground.

The brutish one stepped forward, blinking. "Impossible." And this is what Overhaul needed to distract as he charged forward, and with all his might tackling him to the ground, only to have him effortlessly toss Overhaul off of him like he was a simple paperweight.

Duane stepped forward, placing his pistols back into their holsters after reloading the clips. "The only thing impossible around here is how you vampire assholes worked to take over an entire village."

The one who looked like he wanted to be an army corporal was next to speak up "Who the fuck are you?"

Duane smirked as he saw Xavier approaching. "Think of us as... Special police."

Xavier leapt at the 'general' as Duane mentally nicknamed him. Blood sprayed out as Xaviers sword cut through him like butter. "MOVE DUANE!" he announced as he proceded to give the general a steel forged enema.

Duane sprinted at the Brute, and tried to tackle him except for an intervening arm bouncing Duane off of him like a pinball. Rolling on the ground he winced as the impact was alot harder on both the arm and the pavement than he anticipated.

Xavier stood neutrally as the brute circled with him. Both of them intent on attacking one another. Duane and Overhaul both found themselves getting to their feet as Xavier was the first to attack and watched as Xavier made a dextrous slash but the brute parried on his arm. Duane blinked, so much for bullets. "Fuck."

He looked to Overhaul. "Overhaul... I got an idea." He yelled. as Xavier and The Brute exchanged in a currently neutral combat. Overhaul staggered over to Duane.

"What's that?" he asked as Duane lead him to a parking lot.

Duane smirked replying. "You ever break a car window?" Overhaul just nodded and Duane was pointing at a very large truck. "Then get to work."

Duane and Overhaul walked over to the truck and Duane measured it up, it wasnt that big but it would have to do for what he had planned. Overhaul measured it up and then smashed his elbow into the window, shattering it like butter.

Xavier was currently focusing on evading The Brutes rather aggressive attacks. Overhaul watched the fight as Duane hotwired the car. "I dont know how much more time Xavier's got man." Duane just kept trying to figure out what the fuck would start this car. He'd be brutally honest and say he hadn't hotwired a car since his teen years. He eventually sighed with relief as the engine started up and roared with blissful rejuvination Duane sat up and clapped his hands.

"Get your ass in this car Overhaul." and overhaul ran around and got in the 82chevy was set into reverse as Duane backed out onto the road. "Thats right Xavier... Keep him occupied." He muttered to himself as he continued to reverse now down the road.

"What do you got planned man?" Overhaul asked curiously but Duane gave no answer as he shifted the truck into drive and began accellerating towards the fight. Overhaul blinked as Duane was now going about 40, then 50 then 60 miles per hour as he accellerated towards the two becoming closer and closer with every moment. He looked to Duane? "Duane, what the hell are you doing?"

Duane just grabbed his seatbelt with one hand and Overhaul did the same buckling up now feeling as if he was lead into something he really didnt want to do. Duane was now going closer to 80, as Duane was forcing the truck to go as fast as it could.

Going about 80 miles per hour as he collided with The Brute, Xavier either intuitive or fast, dodging out of the oncoming truck at just the last time. The truck didnt win the fight but as they rocked during the impact the truck knocked over and pinned The Brute down, doing what Duane hoped it would. Overhaul blinked as he looked at Duane, slightly rattled by the impact. "What the FUCK were you thinking!"

Duane unbuckled his seatbelt and kicked open the car door when it wouldnt push open. Shaking his head as he too, was rattled by the impact. Looking as the truck pinned the vampire. Duane stood over his upper torso and he just smirked. "Hi fucker..." drawing his guns and pointing them at him.

The Brute just grinned as he coughed up blood. "You... fool. Your guns will not penetrate my skin!" Duane just smirked. "Who said I was going to shoot your skin?"

The Brute looked confused but Duane pressed his guns to his eyes. "Lights out." and pulled the triggers.


	9. Chapter Eight:Lovers Quarrel

Rayvin pressed the button to the door and it slid open without a hitch. He'd spent hours re-wiring the power circut that was damaged during the fight that he felt proud to know his limited electronics background was enough to restore the power to the building. As the doors slid open he felt a slight presence of victory while he walked into the room.

The empty metal room housed many memories for Rayvin. The training room was where he had many epic sparring sessions with both Duane and James both just forgotten memories in a building that had so many Rayvin wished he could just forget.

Walking through the room he stopped at some marks on the walls, he remembered these well. The fight was against rage and he threw three shuriken at him, pinning him to the wall where he proceeded to use his nunchucks to make Rage know who his daddy was. Rayvin continued to walk along the walls where he noticed a section of wall he'd never forget.

Duane found his pistols after a very long absense, and his aim was, unfortunately for Rayvins sake, on the mark. Rayvin was in bed for about a week nursing wounds and Duane was apoligetic for every moment of those 8 days.

Another point was where he noticed a sizable dent in one of the walls, placing his hands on it he knew what this was from. James had hit him with a energy blast so hard that he'd actually dented the steel wall. That was 4 bruised and 3 broken ribs that he would never forget.

Continuing to walk around the room he looked as he saw Hurricane standing in the doorway. "Who died in here?" She asked curiously.

"This is the training room." Rayvin said with slight hesitation. "Many epic battles, if you will, have been waged inside this room. Infact, I think Duane has nearly killed me more times in this room then I care to remember." He said with now great pause and emphasis on his punctuation. To think of this really plagued his spirits more than he'd like to think. Just sitting down, Hurricane walked over to his side and sat down with him.

"So many memories... and now that is all they will remain." Rayvin said to her but stared at the floor, sadness flowing through his body like blood. "I miss them... they were two of the only friends I had."

Hurricane hugged him and sighed "They died honorably and will never be forgotton. Hell, Duane has his own fucking statue in the city. Duane! A statue! James is mentioned by mutants like a God, for what he did in the war and for the world a few months ago. Rayvin, your friends are never going to be forgotten. And neither will you."

Rayvin sighed. "That doesnt make the fact that I will never see them again any easier. No more sparring sessions, no more of Duane's lude jokes or James's lack of understanding them. Not that I ever got them half the time. Or pretended to laugh at them just to look like I'd fit in." He sighed. "I remember the day I met Duane... I'd been in america all of one month and he was on a mission. He shot someone and then i went to intervene. He dropped me faster than any one man ever before. I was intrigued. He's still, to this day the only person I cannot seem to beat in combat."

Hurricane smirked "If I recall, a certain wind controlling brunette bombshell pinned you for the count in her only interaction with you."

"Yeah... That Bombshell also cheated to win." Rayvin mentioned trying to hide his smirk. It was met with a slight smile as Hurricane leaned in, her face mere milimeters away from Rayvins, as if she was going to lean in for a kiss.

"Maybe you want a rematch then?" Hurricane said standing up with a smirk.

Rayvin blinked lightly. "Im not sure, I dont know if-"he was quickly interrupted.

"What? Affraid of a little action Rayvin? Scared of your girlfriend?" Hurricane antagonized with a smile.

Rayvin stood up and looked at her curiously. She stood in a ready position for combat and he shook his head. "I do not wish to fight you." He said as he stood their blandly.

Stepping forward with a high kick that Rayvin blocked the kick and Hurricane kept close. "What? Dont you want to start new memories?" she said as she went in for another kick that Rayvin rolled under. Turning around she continued to stalk after him. "Comeon Rayvin... Fight me! Lets make a new memory for you to cherish."

Rayvin shook his head. "My emmotions are very sporadic, I dont want to hurt you.." He said as he blocked another kick of hers, this time with his own shin as she kicked low. Hurricane just smiled as she aimed two attacks this time, Rayvin still blocked both.

"Comeon Ray, get angry... Hit me back."

"I will not hit you hurricane."

Hurricane smiled "Fine... suit yourself." She winked and a gust of wind hit rayvin like a gunshot, knocking him to the ground. Rayvin stood up again and groaned.

"What was that for!" He asked bitterly, slightly mad but keeping his emmotions in check.

"Listen ray." She walked upto him non aggressively this time and gave him a hug, speaking calmly into his ear. "You have to move past this. I just want you to have some events in this room that dont immediately remind you of your friends whom have moved on."

Rayvin looked to her "I dont wish to fight you." He said slightly scared that he'd hurt her. Hurricane looked into his eyes now.

"Rayvin, I know you're very skilled. But I can handle myself." She stepped back. "Weapons, Mutant Powers, use whatever you wish." 

Rayvin sighed, he realized he would not be getting out of this, stepping back himself he took out one of his nunchuck sets. out, twisting and throwing them around his body in an impressive display he paused in a combat stance. Hurricane just blew the wind amongst her, showing her power as she too set in a stance.

"3..." Hurricane began, continuing to count down. "Two.. One." She looked to him with intent eyes. "Begin." And she stepped forward, coming at him with a fist, Rayvin wraped his nunchucks around her arm and took her down to the ground. Holding her arm in such away that it was in immense pain given the angle it was at. Hurricane rolled and kicked Rayvin off of her. Rayvin jumped up and they both looked at eachother. Breathing a little bit heavier, this time Hurricane charged again.

Rayvin blocked her kick with his forearm. Another kick of hers he ducked under as she attempted to take his head off with a large side kick Rayvin stepped around her and dealt her a quick and precise blow to the stomache then kicked her in the back. She fell to her feet and coughed, realizing Rayvin was really fast she pulled herself to her feet. "Good." she said, turning around and getting back into a fighting position then coming back on the attack.

Rayvin went to attack with the nunchucks but she caught her leg between the chain and handles and pulled it down, yanking Rayvin forward, slamming his face into her knee he teetered over and stumbled to the side, dropping his nunchucks. Hurricane didnt let up, giving him an axe kick to the back of the head. Rayvin hit the ground with a sickening thud. "Get up Rayvin.."

Rayvin sighed. "I do not wish to fight you." He said as he pushed up. "But if you insist." he did not even go for his nunchucks he just continued, this time attacking her and catching her off guard easily. Kicking her quickly in the gut then grabbing her by the arm and tossing her over his shoulder, pinning her to the ground. She blew at him and a huge gust of wind took him off of her and slammed him into the roof.

He came back down landing on his feet, rolling to his nunchucks she blew them away with his wind. He drew the other set from his waist holsters. Charging at her he leapt towards her and they began into a very high intensity level sequence of attacks. Blocking, perrying, speedy attacks were met with even quicker blocks and counter attacks that spring even faster blocks and it just kept going in that cycle.

Rayvin was being quick, kicks and punches, he waited for an opportunity as he continued to test to see just how quickly she could react and so far she was going kick for kick. It excited him to know she could rival him at what he did best. Kicking he reached for her leg and swept her to the ground and then stepped, stopping his foot mere centimeters away from her face. "Do you concede?"

"Never" Hurricane pushed Rayvin off of him and now she was on the attack. Kicking at him and he would block with ease. Then she would throw a punch and he would again, block with effortlessness. It was beginning to frustrate her. Rayvin noticed this, her emmotions becoming unbalanced would give him the edge. He continued to just simply neutralize her attacks until one attack he was not expecting a stern knee to the gut then a precise elbow to the collarbone that sent this numbing sensation down his spine. This feeling collapsed him to one knee which proceeded with him feeling a rather painful kick to the face. Dropping Rayvin like a sack of potatos.

Rayvin fell back and tried to roll backwards and back into a crouched position but her attack kept on coming, a kick which he sporatically blocked with an arm, causing him to fall onto his butt. Rayvin continued to try to get up but Hurricane remained on the offensive. Catching a break, Rayvin layed back, evading one of her kicks, then sprung to his feet. Immediately he blocked one of her kicks and replied with a quick and sharp kick of his own.

Huricane didnt see this sporadic attack coming and winced when the sharp kick hit her right in the diaphram, taking the wind out of her. Rayvin continued on the offensive. Rayvin, still holding his other set of nunchucks started a very speedy attack, hitting her with his nunchucks in a fury of attack, that anded with him being behind her and her feeling like she'd just been pelted by 1000 rocks. Collapsing to her knees she just coughed out and winced in pain. Rayvin put his nunchucks back in his holster and he looked "Do you concede?"

She just blinked. "Holy..." she said weakly. "That was amazing..." She said as she struggled to stand upright. "I've never seen somebody move so fast." she blinked. "Like a whirlwind." She smiled as she turned around. Rayvin blinked, why was she going on but then she thrust a cannonball of wind into him, sending him sailing into the wall. "I love you Rayvin, but when we're skirmishing, never ever treat me like you love me. If you have the chance to finish me you should do it. Im a big girl, I can deal with a loss."

Rayvin collided with the wall with a dull and sickening thud, groaning he stood up and smirked. "Fine." and progressed towards her. Sending an initial kick when she went to block with her kick he grabbed her leg and tripped her other leg knocking her to the ground then following through with a powerful palm attack to her midsection. "And dont you ever doubt the fact that I have mastered multiple forms of the martial arts."

Hurricane smriked "Have you been holding out on me?" Rayvin just smiled "All for the sake of an even battle, I withdrew my skills a little bit, yes." Hurricane slapped him. "Then never ever embarass me like that again. I actually thought I stood a chance. Lucky for me my wind power keeps you at bay for a little bit." Grabbing him by the shirt she pulled him down and gave him a pretty energized kiss as she breathed deeply to recover her air, somewhat just stealing his as they lip locked.

Rage walked over to the training room and sighed as he layed eyes on the two in their moment. "Sorry to break up this lovers quarrel." Rayvin jumped up off of Hurricane faster than he'd ever seen him before. Hurricane just laughed at Rayvins reaction. "But I got the computer working... however we dont have too much of a signal on Vincent and Jennifer."

Rayvin looked "What do you suggest we do."

"We need to get the component from the HQ in town before I can properly fix this computer." Rage said with a slight smirk, ultimately curious of what he interrupted. "Anyway, when you two are done, whatever it is that you're doing in here. I'll be getting ready to head back into town."

Rayvin just nodded and Rage walked off. Hurricane smirked "I think he's onto us." she said mockingly. Rayvin just blushed lightly as he stood up. "Lets get ready to go.." He said as he left the room.

Hurricane sat up and sighed. "How do I get past that part of you Rayvin..."


	10. Chapter Nine:Two for One

Vincent just sat on his bed in his cage, looking out the window of it to the onlooking city. Who knows how much the aliens had taken over at this point. He was sure most of the city, if not the country had been conquered, and he was powerless to stop it. Vincent just sighed as he looked outside. Wondering what his teammates were upto. No doubt trying to save the day. Delightful he thought, but he regretted missing the action. His powers weren't working. He'd try to concentrate and to focus but he couldnt have any visions, as sporadic as it was it was angering at the same time. He hated missing the action and felt slightly scared not knowing what was coming.

His thoughts reflected how he felt, but his demeanor looked more lost, confused than scared and somewhat panicked. He didnt know what to do. He looked over to Jennifer, laying on the cot that they gave her to sleep on and he felt bad. If it wasnt for him, neither of them would be in this mess. He couldn't help but blame himself but he was sure his friends would save him. And he was sure that both himself and Jennifer would be out of this mess. He continued to concentrate, trying to have a vision, anything. Soon, a large crack was heard on his cell. An alien stood in the doorway, he looked athletic for human standards. Spoke with an echoed voice ."You... follow me."

Vincent could do nothing but comply. The alien lead him down the spacecraft, Vincent mentally recorded where he was being taken, what lead where, atleast from where his cell was concerned. He watched as Jennifer struggled behind him, loudly as she was forced along. They were lead into a large room, with steps into what seemed like a square. Vincent wasnt sure how big it was from his vantage point but he was certain it was some form of arena.

Vincent looked as he was handed his scythe. He looked as the alien spoke. "You will battle some of us. We wish to see how you will fare in a battle where we both know what both sides are capable of." Vincent felt skeptical, Jennifer yelled from behind him, he looked to her as they had thrown her to the ground and she knelt there looking at Vincent.

"Dont do it Vincent.. I overheard them they want to ki-" She was smacked by the butt end of a laser rifel and winced. Vincent just shook his head.

"If I dont do it, they'll probably kill both of us." He replied.

The alien that brought Vincent to the room looked "If you are victorious, we will continue to hold you peacefully in your cell. If you're not, well, you will be studied and tortured until we've gathered all the information we need from you. Then you will be discarded."

Vincent glared, his black shirt was torn, his hair looked as if he'd not bothered to keep it in any managable condition, it was very messy and all over the place. His scythe glowed as he held it. Shaking his head. "No... if anyone's getting discarded. Its you." and with that he leapt at the alien, slicing at it, getting a good chunk of its leg as he kicked it over, connecting it in the face.

Looking as a few came to intercept them, slicing he disconnected one clear at the waist and then decapitated the next. The door opened and it was one of the larger ones. The giant monstrousities, it gave Vincent a steady backhand and knocked him into the square. Following him, the square was soon walled off by a hazy green beam like structure.

Jennifer screamed "No!" she did not want to whitness this. She wanted to help but knew she was powerless to do anything other than watch a battle she was sure that was not favorable to Vincent. 

Vincent got up after connecting with the force field as if it was a cement wall with even less give, if a cement wall even had any. He forced himself to his feet and looked at his monstrous opponent. Sighing, he didnt like his chances. Watching as it stepped forward aiming a quick punch. Vincent dove out of the way. The giant aliens punch rocking the ground. Vincent took a slice at it and cleaved his scythe into its back but it was as if he was trying to cut through something with the potency of wood as it dug in but stopped almost as soon as it entered.

Vincent tried to free his Scythe but all he could feel was the alien grabbing Vincent and tossing him violently into the force field wall. Then prying the scythe free and tossing it onto the ground before persuing Vincent. Vincent forced himself to his feet and looked as he saw his gigantic persuer closing ground on him. Vincent b-lined it for his Scythe but was rejected dead in his tracks by a mammoth forearm that knocked Vincent to the ground like a lawn dart. Wincing as he collided with the metal floor. It didnt feel much beter than hitting that force field wall.

The large alien grabbed Vincent by the shirt and took its balled up fist, thrusting it into Vincents face numerous times. Blood rained from Vincents face like a blasphemous storm. Striking the metallic floor with vicious repetition. Jennifer screamed, begging the mammoth alien to stop its violent onslaught. The alien dropped Vincent as if he were a lifeless sack of weight, Vincent fell lifeless, as if he was a marionette. Practically unconcious his face was a valley of blood and broken.

The large alien spoke as if his voice were a series of echoes. "Take the inferior away..."

Jennifer screamed again. She didnt want her friend taken anywhere, she wasn't sure what to do. "No!" She begged. "Dont take him anywhere, I wont let you!"

She sprawled over to where Vincent grabbed his scythe and grabbed her daggers and began to sheathe a few of her throwing daggers. "I want to make a deal with you!"

The large alien replied. "I am not permitted to make deals... This is the one the commander wants."

"Listen... if you can defeat me, you can take both of us. But if I can defeat you, you cannot take neither of us and you will let us go back to our cell..." Jennifer pleaded.

The alien looked at her, his large size, and purple bland eyes seemed to stare at her. "Inferior... I accept your challenge."

One of the walls of the force field dissipated and Jennifer began to walk forward. "If you can defeat me, inferior." the large alien spoke. "Then you and your friend shal escape persecution, for now..."

As jennifer entered the battle square, Vincents sight made her stomache churn and she almost wanted to vomit and just quit. Looking upto the giant alien she stood on her feet. "Begin..." she said, her daggers in her hand. She watched, the alien stood their waiting, she stepped forward and it lunged at her.

She was quick to dodge to the side, rolling and lunging at it taking two hacks with her daggers before she was knocked back by its garguant arms. Thudding into the force field wall she dropped her daggers on impact with the metallic floor. Wincing greatly, it looked like it hurt and was now very certain it indeed, hurt alot.

She picked up her daggers and stood again, ready, she stepped and watched, his eyes seemed like a purple void that explored her every move, almost as if it warranted him to act before she did. It seemed as she heasitated so did it. She dove forward and again slashed twice on his gut before getting thwalloped by his garguant swing of his arms again. This time she precisely rolled the landing and quickly adjusted to her feet.

Keeping speed as her game she charged again. Wrapping her arms around the mammoths neck she proceeded to slit its throat, it staggered and she flipped off of it and watched it, its eyes, they seemed... slightly different, still purple but a much different shade. She went to strike, throwing three daggers at its already severed throat. Rolling forward and proceeding to eviscerate the aliens gut with her daggers, it dropped and the force field dropped as well, she sheathed her daggers and then collected Vincent.

"S-s-scythe..." he said weakly as she collected him. She walked over to it and looked, pressing the button condensing it she pocketed it. And helped Vincent as the guard that escorted them from their cell, regretfully escorted them back.

Duane stood as Xavier, Overhaul, Hack and Slash sat at the table, Xavier looked tired, the fight wasn't what he'd expected. Overhaul was hunched over the table. Hack sat politely, her long hair sitting still as Slash reclined with her feet on the table. Duane paced and shrugged. "Well... we've made our move."

"And what exactally did that plan to accomplish?" Xavier said curiously, not indignantly as he would usually had expected.

Duane shrugged. "We have let them know that they aren't invincible. Somebody can take them down. and that somebody is us. We will wait for a few days, because, they will most likely be scared... and trust me, Vampires are stubborn. They will belive they can deal with us. And when we go back into town, we will find out who their familiars are. Who their ghouls are. We will make sure they deliver a message for us."

"And whats that message?" Overhaul asked curiously.

"That if they dont get the fuck out of Bryceville, they're going to be forced out." Duane replied quickly.

"How exactally do you expect the vampires to respond to this?" Xavier asked curiously. At first he seemed really agitated but as time progressed he was really warming upto this whole Vampire thing.

Duane smirked "Vampires are stubborn. They will probably take it as a joke, and then they will instruct their familiars to acknowledge them whenever we are in town. Once we've figured out who their familiars or ghouls are we will take them out. Cut off their resources, leave them, in the dark." He supressed a chuckle as he took a drink.

"What's the difference between a ghoul and a familiar." Overhaul asked in reply. Unlike Xavier who seemed rather composed. The whole Vampire front hadn't settled with Overhaul just yet.

Duane sat down as he started to explain. "Well, Familiars are like Ghouls in the way, where they're both somewhat like pets."

"Pets?" Overhaul asked, Duane swiftly replied.

"Yeah, Pets. Its like the Vampires own them, somewhat, of course, who's to say they dont. If a Ghoul or Familiar disobeyed the vampire he'd have a tough time talking his way out of it, he'd most likely get destroyed. You see." Duane continued after taking another drink. "Familiars are pretty much Mortals whom have been introduced into vampire society. The ones who arent used for food are used as informers. Vampires daytime eyes, so to speak."

Overhaul interrupted quickly. "And Ghouls?"

"Well Ghouls, are practically the same, except they've been endowed with powers from the vampire. Its like a super powered lackey, almost." Duane nodded.

"So we're going to find the Ghouls and Familiars and take them out..." Xavier asked now wanting it for sure.

"Depends what we can get out of them." Duane replied. "If we can get some information out of them, where to find them, who's calling the shots, excetera. We will take all the information out of them that we can."

"Alright, so we find their lackeys, filter information out of them. Then we take the vampires out." Overhaul spoke now, "Sounds easy enough. I mean, how hard can it be?"

"That fight we had yesterday was only a small indication of what we're in for. And we had a hard time with that one. Mind you, we were unsure of what we were expecting." Duane nodded. "When we find these familiars, hopefully they can give us a heads up, and help us out."

Xavier looked to the group as he spoke, looking from person to person but not really speaking to anyone in specific. "How will we find these familiars, or these ghouls."

"Usually, they have some form of Tattoo or marking." Duane looked.

Overhaul responded this time. "I don't mean to question your leadership." He said as he rolled up his arm, showing a tattoo. "but even I have a tattoo, and Im sure hicksville florida has its fair share of tattoo wearing residents. Isnt that a vague start?"

"Well, these arent usually normal tattoos. They're very awkward and distinct. Chances are they'd be unlike anything you'd ever seen. Trust me, you'll notice it when you see it."

Xavier stood up and looked. "Well, when are we going in, tomorrow? tonight?"

Duane looked. "We'll start our little resurch assignment tomorrow. For now, everyone relax, get ready get prepared for tomorrow. Its going to be a long day." Duane said as he stood up once again as he walked out of the kitchen.


	11. Chapter Ten:Issac

The city was quiet and Rayvin was fearful. He walked along the street with a blissful grace that met along with a determined demeanor. Looking back at Rage and Hurricane, he wasnt completely sure if he wanted to go on. He just felt so unsure of everything. But the aliens had captured two of his team and he was focused to get them back, regardless of the odds.

"I dont like the look of this," Rayvin commented hesitantly as he looked again to Hurricane and Rage.

It was as if he was entering a hellzone. Buildings were broken and on fire. It looked like a wasteland or a war torn village. It was hard for him to feel optimistic about finding the headquarters in one peice. He wasn't liking this situation but he wasnt going to show weakness, even if times were at their worst. James never showed weakness, and Rayvin wanted to set a similar example. Afterall, he was the new leader. And he had to make sure he set a worthy example for the rest of his team.

Rage looked up, growing frustrated with the situation. He too was feeling slightly pessimistic about things. "Fuck this shit, honestly lets steal parts! I can build a new one, it'd take, a few days, maximum." He was confident in his abilities when it came to computers.

Hurricane shook her head "I hardly think you will find millions of dollars of computer equipment in a thrift or dollar store, besides, we dont have a few days. Plus, Future Shop doesnt exactally have technology that is above standard just sitting in the shelf."

Rage shrugged in response, "But Future Shop has enough of what I need that If I were to just combine its capasaties, say turn 3 proccessors into one. It may work. Im not sure but hey, a man can dream, cant he?"

Rayvin stuck up his finger suddenly to silence Rage and Hurricane, a 'shh' escaped his lips. He looked ahead and proceeded onward.

The street was silent and most likely empty as far as Rage was concerned. The power was out and the street was equally dark as it was quiet. Closing his eyes he clenched his fists and began to breathe slowly. Focusing his rage was an acute process and it was a spectical as Hurricane saw it. To her, Rage was so mild mannored that it seemed so odd that he harnessed such strength and power. But weither she liked it or not, Rage was one of the most powerful mutants alive.

His breathing was focused as he brought forth everything in his mind that made him angry; bad singing, info-mercials, whiney people, bitchy girls, girls in general, stupidity, bad music, losing. His list went on in his mind as he shortened it down as he felt it building. Board Games, Jeopardy, nerds, goths, aliens... ALIENS!

Like a spark of life his aura consumed him. It was as if he was becomming covered in a firey anima. Bright red and excentuating his rage. Lighting the immediate area as if it were an emerging inferno. Growing with every milimeter of his body that it covered before it consumed it all. He was now active as far as his power was concerned. His controlled rage had its advantage, it didnt tire him out as much as opposed to an emmotionally enduced rage. That was uncontrollable and violent.

Hurricane stood in temporary awe, wowing as she watched slightly distracted. His rage process was captivating and interesting. No other powers she'd seen just showed so much raw power and energy. "That never seises to amaze me."

Rage smirked as the blaze gave his face a slightly demonic texture with the shadows. It gave him this truly angry appearance. "Now you just have to convince every other woman that..."

"I see you havent lost your sense of humor, or atleast, your light-heartedness." Hurricane mentioned with a smile. She looked to rayvin as he began to speak.

"Quiet you two..." Rayvin said, this time he palmed a shirken as he spoke. Stalking forward and approaching whatever it was that was irritating his senses. Stalking towards an alleyway, more silent than the crackle of the few errant fires. With a toss of his arm, he released the shirken. A shriek was heard from afar as Rayvin obviously hit the target with excellent accuracy.

The trio approached, Rages aura lit up the area, and the person that was now stuck to the wall thanks to the shuriken. The person looked both relieved and scared at the very same time as it took him a few moments to realize that they were the good guys. "There is aliens, all over the place... " the voice spoke, it was just a boy, homeless. Couldnt be older than 15. He was horrified, regardless of who found him at this peticular time.

Rayvin spoke quickly after removing his shuriken from the wall, freeing the boys coat. "Find shelter, find somewhere where you know you'll be safe." He looked around, realizing soon after that he wasnt too sure how easily that could be accomplished.

"I have no home..." the boy spoke weakly, holding back tears as it was obviously a sensitive subject.

Hurricane noticed how helpless this boy seemed and looked to Rage and Rayvin "You two go on, I'll watch after the boy and meet you at headquarters." Rayvin and Rage took off and Hurricane looked back to the young teenager. "Im Patricia, What's your name?"

"Issac" The kid replied sniffling lightly. He looked upto her, slightly relieved that he'd be with somebody instead of being alone during a time like this.

"Well Issac, you'll be safe with me." Hurricane said with a polite smile. And Issac replied with a similar extatic smile.

Rage sprinted towards headquarters while Rayvin approached among the rooftops. Rage groaned as he emmerged from an alleyway to see a whole crew of aliens. All over the place. "Ray, bad news! Im two blocks away and the little boogers are every which way, what are we going to do?"

"To use a metaphorical phrase to which the late Mr. Bannts would have enjoyed to hear, Shoot to kill Rage, Shoot to kill." Rayvin said as he too was now approaching the same area. From the rooftops he saw even more aliens. And he definately didnt like the situation. But if he could have anyone with him to penetrate through an alien hoard to get to the headquarters, It'd be Rage.

"You make me feel like the G5 was designed by Dell.", was Rages reply as he proceeded onward.

He walked out of the alleyway he was in and stuck out like a huge mole on somebodies forhead. A few of the cloer aliens noticed him an immediately approached. "Purge the inferior." One yelled as he with two others began to run towards Rage.

"I'll show you fury..." Rage smiled grabbing the first approaching alien and, by his arm he swung him like a baseball bat. Crashing it through a nearby wall as if it were a lawn dart. Yelling in excitement as he began some carnage and destruction. He hated these little greenskins and took great pleasure in making them go away as if they were insects.

The second approached and Rage just smirked. Throwing his fist, punching the the unlucky green skin with enough force to crunch a tank like a pop can. Its face collapsed and Rage was about 300 percent sure that it was irradicated.

The third approaching alien was instantly thwarted by the might of Rage. Rage clenched his fists and balled them together, ramming his fist into the aliens midsection he hit it with enough force and power that it practically pummeled the alien in half. Yelling in rage as the testosterone and rage soared through his blood veins. He was loving every second of this.

As he looked onward more aliens approached. "Bring it on!" he screamed as he began to fight his way through the hoard of aliens. His goal was to reach headquarter, preferably with as little alien guts on him as possible. But given that he just disembodied an alien or two with his bare hands he was getting a bit messy. Cursing to himself as he just gave up that whole 'clean' concept and begain destroying most things in his path.

From the roof, Rayvins desent to the ground was similar to that of a raindrop, unnoticed until his swords contacted the alien below. The alien would never notice anything else as Rayvins swords pierced right through it. His pen, a sword, and his words his skill. The poet was what Rayvin was like as he struck with such vivid accuracy. As he too began his surge towards the headquarters.

Aliens began to encase Rayvin. He looked as he stood surrounded by a good 6 or 7 of them before he could emmerge from the alleyway he landed in. Looking as he sheathed one of his swords and held his remaining one with two hands. Rayvin stood ready as two of them came forward.

Stepping forward Rayvin impaled the first alien. Pulling out his sword and turning to the right he cut off another aliens head right off. Ducking as one attempted to shoot rayvin, he rolled forard and swung his sword up. Cutting damn clean through the alien.

He watched as there was only five left. He looked as he charged one, leaping off a wall he bounced off of it and like a red and white blur he slashed through an alien, then kicked another in the face. It staggered backwards and Rayvin drew a few shuriken from his belt and tossed them at the alien, causing it to spasm and fall to the ground dead.

Looking at the three remaining, they all charged him simultaneously. Rayvin jabbed his sword through the gut of the first one, turning to judo toss the next one to the ground, pulling his sword out of its fallen comrade and stabbing it into him now. Rayvin looked at the last one, leapt over the one that now lay motionless with a sword sticking in its gut and kicked it square in the head, knealt down, grabbed it by the head and snapped its neck, breaking it instantly.

They battled forth with stalwart determination. Nothing would deter Rayvin and Rage from their goal. They would reach headquarters no matter who intervened. They were standing their ground and progressing. However, as they approached lcoser and closer to headquarters encountering more and more aliens they couldnt keep up. The battle was approaching a stalemate. The two powerful heroes were being slowed down and progress was being haulted.

"Rayvin, I know you hate it when im pessimistic but there is too-fucking-many of these green sons of bitches." Rage yelled as he simultaneously turned two of their heads into paste.

Rayvin replied less enthusiastically and energetically. "Keep pressing forward."

On the front step of the large skyscraper that the new Team Mutant X called home was where it seemed the alien force was most prevalent. There was so many but Rayvin and Rage pushed forward none the less.

Approaching the steps they looked, despite the resistance from the aliens. It seemed as if Rage and Rayvin would become victorious until this eerie silence was broken by shaking. And two of the giant mammoth aliens emmerged from around the corner of a nearby building.

Rage watched as it emmerged and approached him. "Son of a bitch..." He walked upto a nearby car and picked it up, tossing it easily at the mammoth alien as if it were a football. The car crushed the alien, rage leapt and landed on the car. Stepping off of it he looked as the alien pushed the car off of it. "Oh no you dont!" Rage stepped on its chest, measured up and punched the alien right in the face. It was unconcious after that.

Rayvin was having a more difficult time with his giant opponent. Leaping and dodging its attacks, Rayvin was waiting to size its quickness up. As he seemed to be just quick enough to be one step ahead of the aliens that appeared to read its movements. Rayvin waited, he leapt to a nearby building, bounced off of it and soared towards the alien. With lightning reflexes he drew his second sword and practically scisored the aliens head off. Landing on the ground, it soon shook violently as its bloody corpse soon collided with the cement.

The warriors looked as, even though they defeated their giant opposition. There still seemed to be endless ammount of greenskinned interlopers. Rage shook his head. "You picked the wrong day to take over the earth!" As he went back to breaking his way to the headquarters.

Hurricane and Issac arrived and Hurricane was sure that it was the million alien march. It wasnt a positive sight to see. "Issac, you okay?" He nodded in silent reply. The two watched as Rayvin and Rage struggled to get to the doorway of the headquarters. Hurricane flew down to the ground and tried to aid to their situation.

Issac watched with a mild curiousity and slight fear for his new friend. These were his heroes, the beings he'd watch on televisions and see in the skies. The heroes he knew had already saved the world once he watched them struggle to do so once again. He looked to the fire escape and began to climb down it, once he was in the alleyway he could hear the battle, and was slightly scared.

He hesitantly walked out onto the street, once he was in the open he looked over and heard Hurricane yell to him. "What are you doing!" she yelled at him. This made the aliens look and a few came towards him.

His eyes lit up a golden brown. Debris and other broken terrain lifted off of the ground. "Get away from them!" He yelled. Thrusting his arms he telekenetically flung the aliens every which direction. Once the way was clear he slumped to his knees, out of breath, exhausted. He soon after which fainted.

Rage looked up, even he was surprised at the small teenagers power display. "Wow."


	12. Chapter Eleven:Butcher Block

"Do not fuck with me!" Duane screamed as he pointed his gun at a middle aged man. That man coincidentally happened to be the town mayor.

"Is this neccesery?" Overhaul asked curiously.

The mayor was afraid. A complete stranger leading a group of even stranger strangers was pointing a gun at him and yelling loudly, not to mention cursing every other word. He had every right to be scared. Duane knew what he was doing and he had the mayor at a state of fear. Breaking any initial ocmmunication barriers they shared. Duane wanted to break the mayor. Make him feel helpless, he's more likely to answer your questions that way.

"If you answer my questions." Duane began to pace, he wanted to draw this out, make the uncomfort become unbearable. "You will live. Its not too horribly complicated." He announced.

The mayor was simply horrified. "I dont know a-a-anything about no vamp-vampires! Please, leave me alone!" He looked as if he was going to cry.

Xavier carried in a comprehended guard. "Is this the kind of marking you were refering to?" He pointed to a small insignia on the mans collarbone. It looked like an odd L with a dot filling the void space in a small box.

"Now you're harbouring familiars!" Duane threw his arms in the air as he yelled aggressively. "Dont know anthing about no vampires eh! Well your friend here has a nice tag that says he works for their blood sucking asses!"

The mayor seemed frantic, for a city mayor he sure seemed very nervous and easily startled. "I dont know what you're talking about!"

Duane pointed his gun closer to the mayor and yelled. "I said stop fucking with me! Vampires have inhabited your town for some time now, am I correct?" He began to yell louder. "Tell me I'm wrong! Correct me!"

The mayor seemed on the verge of tears. "I swear to you sir... There are no vampires! Please, PLEASE dont hurt me!" He was begging Duane, he was so afraid and looked like he'd soiled himself.

Duane knew he had his mayor on the verge. He'd almost broken him. He'd nearly gottin him on the gun alone. This guy deserved some credit. Not all mayors could stand off a appeared maniac especially a maniac with a gun. But he didnt deserve he credit now. Maybe after Duane deserved some credit after saving their sorry town. Too bad neither of them would recieve their due.

Duane looked to Xavier. They had discussed a plan on the drive into town. It was a plan that Overhaul had disagreed with. But it was never easy to go through with those wierd or insane kind of plans that were often last resourts. And despite the severity of the situation. Duane was prepared to do what he had to do.

"Do it Xavier..." and Xavier walked out of the room. Duane after mentioning to Xavier looked back to the Mayor. "You just had to push me, didn't you?" He was pacing again. "And now you're going to pay.

Overhaul looked somewhat hesitantly. "Is this really neccecery Duane?" Who replied with a swift nod.

The mayor looked curious. "Is... is what neccecery? What's going on?" Xavier was seen agian as he pulled in the mayors daughter. She was kicking and screaming, begging to be let go.

"Believe me, I didnt want to have to take it this far mister mayor." Duane said as he drew a second gun and pointed at the daughter.

"You- You're bluffing! You wouldnt, you wouldnt da- you wouldnt dare!" The mayor studdered out. Really afraid that yes, he would dare.

Duane smirked sinisterly "You have no right to judge what I wouldn't and would dare do." He looked at him. "I bet you're betting your daughter could out maneuver me if you called fora distraction? That if she were to run that I'd miss... Overhaul, the ash tray."

Overhaul tossede the ash tray ino the air. Duane pulled the trigger twice. The ash tray burst into dosesns of peices. Duane held back a laugh, partially because he didnt want the situation to get too eerie and partially because he knew it would be slightly inapropriate. Despite the fact that he was holding a gun to both the mayor AND his daughter.

"See... I have the best shot you've probably never seen Mr. Mayor. Tell me everything you know about the vampires, or your daughter will become just another victim. I am trying to help you but your persistant denail only thrusts you deeper and deeper into danger. So you have three options: One; you can keep up this moronic charade and forfit your daughters life. Dont think im bluffing, mister mayor I will shoot your daughter. Two, you can forfeit your own life, and hope the vampires dont get her after we leave town. Beleive me we ARE your last resourt. We have bigger shit to deal with than some dinky florida town overran with vampires! And three; you can help me out. We'll take care of this vampire problem you have. And you'll never see me or my friends or any vampires again!" Duane finished his rand and looked to the mayor "So whats it gonna be?"

The mayor seemed scared, uncertain, unsure what to do. He looked to his daughter, who seemed so scared, so helpless. Then he looked to Duane, this maniac seemed so serious. He didnt want to feel the wrath of the vampires. So he was going to trust this guys word. "What... what do you want to know..." he said with a heavy breath.

Duane looked to Xavier "Let her go..." he said as he pulled a chair over to the mayor. "Start from the beginning. How quickly did it happen, where can we find them, how many of them are there?"

The mayor sighed. "I dont know exactally how long ago it was. But I know they've been here atleast a month... I know that there's atleast 20... They've pretty much killed or vamped anyone who's opposed them. So they could have over 50! I dont know how the 5 of you propose you can solve this problem?"

Duane smirked, "Its quite simple, actually." He stood up. "Find the leader, bootfuck him, and the rest should know where they can go... the fuck away that is."

The mayor wasn't sure to trust the help of this brutish interloper. But anyone who was willing to help his small town he was thankful for. "I dont know where they're hiding out. But I think I know who you can talk to for that. The Butcher, was the first person who encountered the vampires. Thats what i've heard. Talk to the butcher, I beet you'll get your information."

Xavier looked "And just where can we find the butcher?"

The mayor got up and looked to his daughter, immediately walking over to her and giving her a large hug before looking to the group. "The Professional Butcher Block. Its on the main street when you're coming into town. You cant miss it."

Duane nodded "Alright boys, we're going to go butcher the Butcher." He said as he holstered his guns and the mayor breathed a deep breath as Duane, Xavier, Overhaul and the identical looking Hack and Slash all left his house. Quickly he breathed a sigh of relief as the maniacs left his home.

As they all got into their hummer Duane got into the drivers seat and waited impatiently for the rest of them to go. Once they were all In he backed out of the driveway and sped away from the mayors house as he drove aggressively to the butchers store. He was anxious to get things to a point where he could take a break, or just kill some vampires. Either would have done really but he wanted to kill some vampires. And if this butcher was the gateway for him to iradicate this town of its undead plague, then so be it.

Pulling upto the parking lot, the word plain came to mind to describe "The Professional Butcher Block" Then agian, that word came to mind when describing the entire town. Essentric was clearly not in the collective vocabulary of the town at the time of its conception.

Duane parked the hummer and looked "Okay... We dont know how reluctant or accepting this man will be to provide us with the information we need so be prepared if we either have to use force or may not have to use any."

Duane lead the group, pulling open and entering the butcher block. Duane saw a person huddled over the counter, not facing the door. "Are you the-" His sentence was cut off when he was not responded to by a brutish looking butcher who cut up pigs and animals for a living. In stead of that a slim, short black haired woman dressed in black coveralls. She had to be atleast in her mid thirties but she was definately not the kind of person who worked in a butcher block. "Butcher..." Duane said finishing his sentence.

"Who wants to know?" Came her hasty reply.

Duane looked to her curiously. How to deal with this, he wasn't very certain of. He decided a polite approach at first. "Im hoping you can help me out." He extended a hand politely. "I am Patrick McCartty." She shook his hand with an surprisingly firm grip. "Isabelle, how can I help you. Mr. Mcartty?"

Duane looked "I'd like to know if you could help me out. Word around the city is that there have been some odd things happening. And they say you were the first to encounter it."

"You mean the vampires. Listen, you're cute. But you dont need to sugar it down. Those blood sucking fucks have been trying to get me ever since I killed a couple of them a while back."

Duane looked "Hmm... good. Well Im not going to lie to you. Can you keep a secret?" She nodded. "Im part of a government agency, we're here to eliminate the vampire problem. Any help you could give us would be greatly apreciated."

Isabelle thought. "Well... The only reason I am alive now.." she pulled the top of her overalls aside exposing her chest a little bit, next to her breast which was covered by a bra, was a unique tattoo. "I am the leaders familiar... I can bring you to him. I just hope you're as tough as you are good looking.

"You're very compliant..." Duane looked curiously.

"Those fucks killed my husband. I'll do anything to see them get their just desserts." She said with a nod.

Duane looked to his crew. "Well.. she's in." he looked back to Isabelle. "Well, when are you usually summoned to him?"

"Actually, he usually comes to me." Isabelle replied with a small smile. "But umm... if your crew could work around that perhaps we could come to a solution."

Duane looked "When do you close?"

Isabelle replied with a raised eyebrow. "Umm, 9:00, why?"

Duane said with a grin. "Perfect. Here's what we'll do. Overhaul and I will pose as employees. The rest of the team will be disbatched around the neighbourhood. When your sire, so to speak, arrives; he'll be ambushed and we'll eliminate him as easily and quickly as possible. "

"And what if the fish doesn't bite, so to speak?" Isabelle replied curiously. "Then what."

Duane looked. "Has he visited you at work before"

"Of course, Im always in here late, especially since he eliminated 70 of my damn work force." she mentioned bitterly.

"Exactally, so he'll come looking for you, and we'll ambush him. It'll be perfect." Duane clapped.

Xavier walked forward and spoke rather dryly. "And what exactally do you require Hack, Slash and myself to do?"

Duane smiled "You have your communicators, I believe? We'll give Isabelle one, and Xavier, I trust you to lead Hack and Slash and set up a security perimeter. If he brings company, you eliminate it. But they cannot know anyone is there, If you have to take him out, good. But make sure you alert us."

Xavier nodded and walked out with Hack and Slash. Isabelle turned around and looked to Overhaul and Duane. "The coveralls are in the staff room. Let me get you guys situated."


	13. Chapter Twelve:Radio Shack

Rage sifted through the parts as Rayvin looked out a window and Hurricane sat with Issac. "I hate to be a party pooper Ray, but these parts will need alot of work for me to be able to make this, or the other computer work so we can find them."

Rayvin sighed. "Rage, what do you need to do to make it work."

Sighing, Rage lead Rayvin over to the computer, the wires were all burnt out and pretty much useless. "This wiring can be redone, but it will just take time and obviously, wires."

Rayvin looked. "Its too hostile out there though, we need to know where it's safe. Now that we're watching Issac I am not sure how much risk we can take."

"Hey, I can take care of myself." Issac said mildly irritated, he was young, sure. But all he knew was the street. The street is the kind of place that if you dont learn quickly, you better find a way out because you will not last. And Issac considered himself a survivor.

"Issac, that may be the case. But we cant endanger you or anyone of us to get some silly wires." Rayvin said in reply.

"Do you really have a better idea?" Hurricane replied quickly.

"Well no Hurricane, I guess I dont." was Rayvin's somewhat deflated reply.

"How about this..." Rage said quickly as he stood up with a slight groan. "You watch the tyke here Hurricane. While Ray and I infultrate the local radio shack for the wires i'll need. If we're not back in a certain ammount of time, say, 2 hours. Or if anything comes up, we'll communicate you. Afterall we still have our radio's. Plus once we get this computer up and running. We will, hopefully effortlessly, be able to find our friends. Jennifer is smart, Im sure she's keeping herself and Vince alive. And I am sure that Vincent and Jen have been thinking their way out of this. So just stay put. Your boy toy and I will go and hit the shack."

Rayvin looked up "Boy toy?"

Hurricane couldnt stop her smile. "Dont worry about it love. Okay you two, just be careful. I want my man back here in one peice."

Rage smiled. "I'll try my best, and if not. I'd be more than willing to-"

Swiftly, he was cut off by Hurricane. "Dream on anger boy. Now go you two before I get bored of waiting and come with."

Rage lead Rayvin out and smirked. "Dont have to tell us twice."

"I was serious, I want him back safely!" Hurricane yelled as she walked to the hallway.

"I am sure I will be more than capable to keep care of myself, Hurricane." Was Rayvins reply as he was being lead off.

The two began walking down the stairs, due to the elevator being broken. It wasnt a fun walk, but it was if anything a good workout. Rage didnt really wish to walk down 40 some odd floors of stairs. After trying to count them he'd lost count at about 39.

Walking out the door into the lobby of the building Rage and Rayvin readied for their journey to Radio Shack "Listen Ray, we have to be quick, who knows how large their patroles will be, especially after when we busted our way in here."

"Well, whatever they throw at us, we will deal with when we encounter it."

Rage and Rayvin began their paranoid and precautious walk to the mall where the radio shack was located. The streets to put it were eerily empty. Rage and Rayvin both would have expected to encounter or at the very least spot something by now. Nearly half the way to the mall and no sign of any odd green skins.

"So tell me Ray, how are you handling all of this, you know. Being the leader, I've noticed it's been hard for you, atleast from my point of view anyway. So umm, if there is anything I can do, or that you'd like me to do to help everything out. I'd be glad to." Rage spoke sincerely to Rayvin. He'd known him long enough to be truthful to him. Not that rage was ever good at sugar coating things when he needed to say something.

"I thank you for that..." He said as he looked up ahead. "But for now lets just focus at the task at hand, getting those wires and then fixing the computer so we can find and save Vincent and Jennifer, god only knows what the hell they're going through at this moment."

And they were definately not having a picnic, that was to be sure. Jennifer and Vincent sat in their cell. Despite Jennifers best efforts that didnt stop them from dragging Vincent out for frequent 'interrogations' that usually ended up with Vincent saying all but nothing and Jennifer being angry and horrified when they'd bring Vincent a bloody and pumelled mess.

Jennifer looked out the window and sighed. "Vince, are we ever gonna get out of here?"

He just sighed, never was his disposition any less sunny than now. "They know I am precognative, they've been taking me more and more frequently, trying to force visions out of me. But I will never tell them what I've seen."

Jennifer looked almost hopefully. "What? tell me what you've seen?" She walked upto Vincent and sat down beside him. Vincent turned to her and spoke very quietly.

"It was in a dream I had a few nights ago. There was a boy. And another hero, one who I thought was dead... Oh god." Vincent began to weep.

"What!" Jennfier said.

Vincent made a hand gesture, telling her to quiet down. "It was Duane."

Jennifer blinked "That's impossible."

Vincent nodded. "Exactally what I said. So I dismissed it. But he was so exact, just like him. Similar style, similar look. I mean, god I dont know how it wasnt."

"What did he look like?" Jennifer demanded.

"Well, unlike Duane, he had a sense of style. He dressed in all white. And managed to pull it off quite well. White dress pants, a white dress shirt, white tie, white trenchcoat, white bandanna on his head. Im certain he was bald."

Jennifer raised an eyebrow. "No way it could've been Duane, he hates the color white. I remember one time in peticular, I bought him a T-shirt, a white one. His favourite football team, the BC Lions from the old CFL... and basically, the next day he came home from patrol, and it was bathed in blood. I dont know if he did it on purpose or not but the blood didnt come out."

Vincent looked. "No... it couldn't have been Duane now that I think about it. His style was, alot less aggressive, more of a wait and reply kind of combat."

Jennifer. "Do you know how they come in contact with him?"

Vincent shook his head. "No... it was hazy but... it was that man. A mall... there was Rage and Rayvin... those aliens"

Jennifer stood up again and blinked. "Whatever this is... I hope that it happens sooner than later."

From a security room, two of the aliens watched a monitor. "a mall... how many of these 'malls' do the inferiors have in this area?"

"According to our maps, only one."

"Have a patrol sent out immediately, send 4 decapitators, and 15 of our elite."

"Instantly sir."

Rage and Rayvin approached the mall. Rayvin stepped out and tugged on the door. "Rage?"

Rage smirked and clenched his fists, after a matter of moments he was the inferno of emmotion that granted him his codename. Grabbing the door by the handle, and taking a light tug of the handle he yanked it off of its hinges simply. Tossing the door aside and smirking. "After you."

Rayvin walked inside and Rage soon followed and eventually lead the way. "Radio Shack is this way." Walking down the mall, it was dark, the only light that was provided was the moonlight shining through the sunroof's in the ceiling. Rage looked "Should just be up here on the second floor."

They walked up the escalator and looked as at the other end of the peticular floor sat Radio Shack, as if it were illuminated by a heavenly aura. Rage began to ran towards it. Rayvin just watched momentarily. Soon Rage was at it and began to work at prying away the metallic doors away. Rayvin was roughly halfway to the radio shack when roughly 15 aliens came trounsing through the roof. Rage looked. "Rayvin!"

Rayvin began pulling something from his back that wasn't his sword. "Dont worry Rage, just find what you need!" He was pulling out a pair of nunchucks, except these were no ordinary nunchucks. These nunchucks were as if they had 2 foot jagged scythe blades protruding from the ends after the handles. "I've designed these specially for you..." he said as the 15 elite's began to close in. 

Rayvin jumped forward, slashing with his scythe-chuck's he clean cut right through the torso of one of them, twisting and following through as he cleaved through the shoulder, kicking the alien off of his scythe chucks, he was down to thirteen.

Rage was working the metallic door off and eventually he got it off and hoisted it down. "Rayvin! Look out!" And he hucked it, before it got to them, the 4 decapitatiors, or the giant aliens struck down through the roof, and blocked the path of the large metallic interloper. One turned around and began progressing towards Rage while the other three were watching Rayvin like vultures to a carcass. Rayvin held his scythe-chucks as he was becomming cornered.

Rage was walking backwords before he walked into someone. Turning around, it was as if he'd seen a ghost. Wearing all white, white bandanna, armed to the teeth, as if it were Duane incarnate. "Hello, you must be rage... Just um, do whatever it is that you have to do."

Rage just nodded, not saying anything. The man in white stepped forward and looked "Wow you're ugly..." sprinting forward he grabbed an object from his coat, pulling the pin and stabbing it into the garguant decapitator. He sprinted forward and rolled as it exploded with a very large bang. "Thank god those things blow up. I was worried." standing up he saw Rayvin. He looked as he drew another grenade from his coat. "Rayvin!" He yelled. "Get out of there!"

Rayvin blinked as he saw the man In white. Looking curiously, Rayvin just crouched then leapt out of the circle as the man threw his grenade, only a few moments later the explosion sent a few of the alien corpses flying. There was maybe 5 elite's and the 3 decapitators left. "You take the big ones!" the man in white screamed as he sprinted at the ones. Rayvin smirked. "Gladly."

Sprinting towards the first decapitator, he readied his scythe chucks, leaping he swung them, he felt the blades dig into its neck, swinging and gripping he pulled as the blades cut clean through as he decapitated a decapitator. Rayvin smirked.

The man in white walked upto an elite, clicking his wrists together, two blades shot out of each wrist and he walked upto one elite, slamming his palm into its face and jabbing the blades into his throat, he was careful to not get any blood on his clothes. As he flipped the body over his head, rolling as he did then jabbing the blades up into the next ones head under his chin. Kicking its bleeding and flailing body off of his blade and looking to the next one, he clicked his blades again and his blades retracted, the aliens hesitated. "You know... ah fuck it." He grabbed an assault rifel from behind his coat and shot the last ones down easily. Putting it back he shook his head.

Rayvin landed and the last decapitator fell quckly after he did, his blades thick with their blood. Looking over he walked over to the man in white, sheathing the scythe-chucks he looked at him. "Duane?"

The man in white took off his sunglasses and pulled off his bandanna, his short blonde hair and lack of a scar on the jaw could only mean one thing. "Stephen?"

Stephen Bannts, Duane's younger brother. Rayvin knew him only well enough to know that he was one of the few people Duane trusted. So much Rayvin didn't know about young Stephen, and here he was saving his life.

Rage came walking out with a bunch of packages of wires. "I think what I nabbed should be good enough for what we want to do."

Stephen smirked. "Ah, Ray, you know me well enough to know I am not my brother. He's way too headstrong and well, would he ever dress this nice?"

Rage looked. "Nobody has the heart to tell Duane brown is an ugly color. Plus, how the hell have you been!"

Rayvin looked. "Come on Stephen, well take you back to the hideout and you can fill us in on what the hell is going on."

Rage, Rayvin and Stephen began walking out. Rage looked. "Yeah, aren't you living in like, Australia?"


	14. Chapter Thirteen:Stephen Bannts

Stephen walked into the hideout and smirked. "Wow. I can definately see why you guys have the publics support. Hard not to be liked when your hideout is a 50 story skyscraper."

Rage smirked "Well, its hard to be liked when aliens are trouncing around like they own the place."

"They might as well." spoke Rayvin, for the first time since they left from the mall. "We're the protectors and as far as they're concerned. We've done very little."

Stephen smirked. "I am anxious to see this place."

"Go on up, take a look for yourself." Rayvin said offhandedly and Stephen began jogging up the steps. Spending most of his time in millitary assignments, he himself lived in a very small appartment so he found a lap of luxury to be a very welcome change. He found the top floor where the steps stopped and looked. Walking out and seeing it empty, a frayed computer in the open room from the hallway, he was meeted by a very attractive woman. That woman was Hurricane.

"Who the hell are you?" She demanded.

Stephen blinked, "I am Stephen Bannts..."

Hurricane looked as she approached him. "I dont know how you found this place. But you-"

"It's quite alright Hurricane. This is a friend. He's Duane's brother." Rayvin spoke coming out the door shortly after Stephen did, he was followed by Rage who opted not to join this conversation, and get right to work at fixing the computer.

"Follow me." Rayvin lead Hurricane and Stephen, who were eventually lead to a room with some more comfortable seating, they were joined shortly after by Issac.

"God, I guess I have alot of explaning to do. I'll start off with a proper introduction. I am Stephen Bannts." He extended his hand and shook both Hurricane's hand and Issac's hand.

"Patricia" Hurricane replied, and Issac just replied with a nod.

"Duane had put in his will, that when he were to die, that I would find out, and I would come help you guys out to fill his absence. I was in africa at the time on a covert mission to take out a drug cartel. And you can imagine how hard it is to work your way out of higher level military operations. But thankfully they gave me a release. Thankfully I had served more than my required number of years in service, or getting out could have been dodgy."

Hurricane looked. "Wow, he's more polite than duane, that's an instant upgrade."

Rayvin smiled. "Well, how did you find us?"

Stephen smirked. "Well truth be told it was a total fluke." He said with a slight smirk. "With this high grade military equipment i've aquired due to a few favors that were owed to me. I found you two on your journey to the mall... I also found the nearly 20 alien squad that was tailing you. And I decided to wait a bit until it looked really dire. Hearing Rage mention numerous times of radio shack I found the fire escape and forced my way in, it really was just a waiting for Rage to pry off that damn security door."

Rayvin smirked "I overlooked that, he was having a fair bit of problems with that."

Hurricane looked. "How do you know Rayvin?"

"Well, he is one of my brother's only friends. And since James was my foster brother I knew Rayvin second hand quite well. We sparred a few times." Stephen said with a smrik.

"Despite his lack of martial arts knowledge, he is a persistant fighter." Rayvin said in praise.

"So how much of the team do you know?" Hurricane replied curiously.

"Well, I grew up with Rage or Kevin so i've known him forever. Rayvin i just mentioned. Jennifer and Duane used to be lovers so I've known her for a while. I dont know, has the team changed that much?" Stephen asked curiously.

Rayvin sighed, this was never an easy story. "During that final battle, Jame's died, your Brother died, we've got a new member, or two. Hurricane here, a former member of-."

"The old Team Mutant-X... right?" Stephen asked curiosuly and when she nodded in reply he smirked. "Yeah, I followed that case closely. The military was hairpins to intervening in that, thanks to me. Its nice to know I held a bit of pull in that place."

Rayvin continued as if he were uninterupted. "Team Mutant X, yes. And we aqquired a Precognative, Vincent Demontique."

Stephen raised an eyebrow. "Vincent Demontique, kind of gothic, scars under his eyes. Walks around like he's death?"

Hurricane looked "You know of him?"

"Only through the millitary, they tried to start a precognitive division with mutants but Vincent was one of the few to decline. He got listed by the military for it." Stephan said as if it were of no consequence.

"Listed?" Rayvin asked curiously.

Stephen blinked. "To be honest Rayvin, I believe I've already said too much."

"He's not in danger is he? I mean, from the military." Rayvin asked curiously.

Shaking his head Stephen assured him, "Oh no no no. The military couldn't get the drop on a precog, not even my division or any others. He'll be okay, nothing bad is going to happen to him, or any mutants. The millitary knows better than to start another war, especially so closely after we've finally ironed out the differences."

"Well beside's what danger's he's in already." Hurricane said

"What do you mean?" Stephen asked curiously.

"Jennifer and Vincent are being held captive by the aliens." Rayvin spoke with regret, clearly it was a sensitive subject with him. With Rayvin it made him feel as if he'd failed as leader.

Stephen stood up, "Well lets bust them out! Show those aliens that the earth is not one place that they can come and bully around."

Rayvin looked. "And how do you propose we do that, We have no idea where they are? Our computer is thrashed and we have no idea if they even have their communicators."

Hurricane said with a sigh. "Beside, what do you plan on doing otherwise, taking a gun and storming the place?"

"A tried and tested technique." Stephen smirked. "Although I prefere stealth any day of the week."

Rayvin nodded, "So you're here by request of Duane?"

Stephen nodded, slightly glad of the change of subject."Yeah, like I said, the knucklehead wrote it into his will. You guys meant alot to him. I guess with all that had happened. You were the only family he ever had."

"Well aren't you his Brother?" Hurricane asked.

"Yes, but at home Duane and I never really acted like brothers, more like just people. Co-workers of sort. My father was very military based. Duane could never handle absorbing and generating that much dicipline, thats why he ran away from home. Plus, im sure even though he'd never talk about it. That the fact that father did show me more gratitude than he did Duane got to him."

"Duane never really talked about his home life too much." Rayvin commented.

"Yeah, and even James was treated more like a son than Duane ever was. Truth be told, when Duane left, I only talked to him twice after his death." commented Stephen.

Rayvin seemed very interested at this, looking up. "Really?" Duane never talked too much about his brother. Duane was always very indipendant. Rayvin remembered Duane almost more for his stubborn reluctance to accept help more than his friendship. As they were both very high in his memory bank.

"Yep." Stephen said, "We were both on a mission in russia together. It was a team of 5 of us. This was Duane's post merc, millitary days when he began redeeming himself, as he called it. We had a long talk in a russian cafe, catching up. Of course, our father had not forgiven him for what he'd done. Not until the funeral of course. He cried more than mother did."

Rayvin nodded, the funeral was fresh in his mind. That was one of his more sad days. He couldn't handle two of his small ammount of friends to both go in the related incidences that they did. Of course what perplexed Rayvin is that they never did find Duane's body, Duane often said, no corpse, no death but since he hadn't turned up Rayvin found this theory unlikely to be applicable.

Hurricane looked "What happened with your father and Duane?"

"Like I said, Duane didnt like being ordered around and didnt like feeling like he was being forced to be something, so at 17 he left home. Didnt speak to my father once after that day. I mean, Duane was always great, his mutant abilites attested to that but father took it personally after a while. He'd wished all he could do is apologize to his eldest son. It was hard to see my father like that" Stephen said offly. Sighing lightly.

Hurricane nodded. "That's horrible." she said shaking her head. "I'd always found Duane to be stubborn but I mean, to walk out on his own family."

"He didnt end up that bad. Given what he did, he made more money than most people would ever see in their entire lives, and often at increments at a time. He had a whole fortune, and i didnt see a penny. To be truthful actually... Im happier he gave it to you guys."

"Only reason we've got this building." Rayvin said with a slight smile. "Duane, despite that afformentioned stubborness, had a heart of gold that could never be relenquished."

"Too true Rayvin." Stephen said looking to them, Issac looked to all of them and was very curious. "Who is this little guy?"

"I'm hardly little..." said Issac. "I'm Issac and I am 14. Thank-you-very-much."

Stephen smirked. "He a mutant?"

Issac smirked as he lifted his hand and pulled Stephens gun out of his holster with a smirk. "Cool gun!" Stephen grabbed the gun and re-holstered it. 

"He's telekenetic?"

Rayvin just nodded with a slight smile. "He saved our lives when we were fighting our way back here. We saved him then he saved all of us.

"Well then he's good in my book." Stephen said with a nod.

A loud bang then almost a slight roar that simmered down into a quiet purr was heard from the room Rage was in. "Yes!" He yelled. "Rayvin, Hurricane! We have contact!"

Rayvin and Hurricane got up, and they, followed by Stephen and Issac walked over to the breifing room. The mega-computer was online, it wasn't pretty and there were wires everywhere. But Rayvin was overcome with happiness. "Well, load the positioning system. We have to find them!"

"Christ Ray, just let the damn thing start up. We haven't used it in a while, this thing isn't used to being turned off, let alone forced off. It needs time to get all the wheels rolling again."

Stephen looked. "Wow, this is an amazing computer."

"Yep, only one of two in the world, both built by me of course. This one's got 3 terrabytes of ram, a 400 gig harddrive. Don't even get me started on processor speed. Pentium would shit themselves." Rage boasted.

"You always were the computer geek. Yet, the jock at the same time." Stephen commented with a friendly smirk and a grin. "Not to mention bullied." he said with a slight shove.

"Yeah, well I was in college getting laid and getting an education. Those bullies are busy paying hookers to get STD's and busy working at grocerie stores for the rest of their lives. I'd say in the end I won." Rage said with a smirk."

"Umm rage..." Hurricane said with a coy smile. "Since when have you ever brought a girl home?" She used alot of self-power to resist the garguant giggle that was in her chest. That eventually seeped out, Stephen too giggled and Rayvin just shook his head.

"Can it, alright!" He said with a glare that could break ice. "Anyway." he said as he typed in some code and loaded up the positioning system and sure enough Vincent and Jennifers blips were right next to eachother on the outskirts of town on the north-east side. "There we go... we've got em, now we just gotta go save em!"

Rayvin smiled. In the midst of all of this he was so glad they'd finally found them. "Alright, we need a plan."

"Surely you cannot count me in." Hurricane said with a sigh.

Issac looked to her with a slight groan. "You can bring me you know, I am not eight years old. Im old enough to fight aliens with you guys!"

Stephen looked. "Hey, the kid seems determined, I'd say the more the merrier."

"Well you're not the-" Hurricane was saying before Rayvin cut him off, seemingly rejuvinated by the good news.

"Issac can come with us, the three of us cannot storm an alien stronghold alone." Rayvin pointed out as he pointed to Rage and Stephen. "Even Issac's help is apreciated. Anyway, we know where they are. We need a plan."

Stephen smirked as he looked to everyon else. "Well... I know that they blow up real nice."

Rayvin shook his head and Hurricane threw her hands up in sigh. "I take it all back, he's more like his brother than I thought."

Rayvin shook his head. "Come on we need to plan this one out."

And the five of them all crammed into the breifing room and began to plan out their attack.


	15. Chapter Fourteen:Vampire Peice Of Shit

Looking at himself in the small bathroom mirror. Duane could already tell that either he was destined to be a butcher at some point in his life, or he just naturally looked good in blood soaked rags. The grey overalls were stained permanently in random locations with blood. Duane pulled the hair-net over his head. It was mucky and plastic and it looked like a really bad swimming cap. And then he pulled over his safety goggles. Looking over to Overhaul, he was either so morbidly disgusted with what he was wearing, or he was so surprised and thinking the same thing.

"Killer threads eh?" Duane asked.

"Oh you know it man." Overhaul said slightly sarcastically, but with a smile none the less.

They walked out to the killing hall it was called, and were both handed chainsaws. "Alright, I've already gone over how to cut up the cows, dont worry about these ones, I placed these here and you can cut them up however, but if anyone comes in here, just look like you're finishing up some of these ones that have already been finished. I dont know what you have planned but hopefully it works." Isabelle commented slightly scared. She knew what they were getting into, and she had no idea how capable these people were. Unfortunately, Duane was thinking the exact same thing.

"Well the plan is this. Hack and Slash, the two females you saw, are both teleporters and expert assassins. They will elimate the leaders entorage hopefully without dietection. And Xavier is a expert-class martial artist. I myself am, or atleast was at one time the worlds most feared Bounty Hunter, slash, assassin. And now lead these rag tag bunch. And Overhaul here, he used to be a security guard. And I feel awful bashful for saying so but I have no clue what you specialize in man."

"Demolitions." He said plainly, strait to the point. It spoke in of itself. "I am a demolitions expert." He spoke with a small tinge of pride, clearly despite his personal failiures, he felt this was the one thing he could be proud about.

"Well," Isabelle started. "Like I said, You guys seem to have your act together. Im going to go do what I have to do, you two just... try not to make too much of a mess."

Duane smirked, as he pulled his chainsaw cord. "I dont know about you overhaul..." He said as he began carving a small chunk out of the cow, sending splatters of blood in random directions. "But Im going to enjoy this."

"Duane..." Overhaul said as he too started up his chainsaw. "You're one fucked up white boy."

Outside, the night created a shell of darkness over the small village of Bryceville Florida. Xavier, Hack and Slash sat on the roof of the butcher, after having gone over the plan numerous times, exploring many different possibilities. But they all had a clear idea of what they were going to do. Wating patiently Xavier looked out from the roof, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. And the moon lit the town like one giant street light that had a cloth over it. Dim, but bright at the very same time, for all the sense that made.

"Be ready for anything... Who knows how many people he could have with him." Xavier spoke with prickly anunciation.

Isabelle was sitting at the front desk, filing some last minute paperwork for the next meat order. She was quietly in a haze, and her concentration had her pretty much 100 un-aware that the leader of the vampire gang had pretty much appeared out of nowhere. He stood tall, about 6'4" and he could easly been 250 pounds of just pure muscle. The guy looked like a tank. And given Duane was pretty much the same physical stature, that was saying alot. "Isabelle." his words echoed through the room like a nail smacking on metal. Isabelle looked up surprised, flustered . "Antonio..." she said with slight disaray. "What brings you here?"

"Don't play coy... my eyes on the street said some visitors have came to our town. They say they visted you?" Antonio spoke as if he were a politician in a former life, or perhaps a lawyer. He was so good with his words and so precise in the way he spoke. It was as if he were jabbing someone in the heart with his hellos and decapitating them with his goodbyes.

"Antonio, I have never lied to you. I haven't had visitors all day. Other than my co-workers... " She spoke as she ruffled through her order form. Avoiding eye contact for the best of her.

Antonio was wearing a white tank top that was dirty, every inch of his skin looked like compounded muscle. The guy wasn't exactally your sunday school teacher. He was wearing some black denim shorts, and combat boots. "You're lying to me..." He walked upto her, small, one inch claws developed on the tips of his fingers. He walked upto her, clawing under her chin ever so gently, only to angle her face to his, so he could look into her eyes. "Do not lie to me. Have you had any visitors today?"

Isabelle was sure that her taking time to reply was only giving her away, looking away doing her best to look away from his crimson eyes. The fear seeped off of her like a foul odor.

Xavier sat on the roof. Hack tapped him on the shoulder, as she pointed over the edge of the roof, then gave him 1 finger. Somebody was circling the butcher block. She nodded to Xavier, whom nodded back to her and she dissapeared thusly, teleporting to engage the enemy. She saw him as she was as silent as the night itself. The vampire was walking with a small hunch, he was hardly intimidating. Teleporting agian she teleported infront of him.

"What The fu-" was all he got out before he recieved a punching dagger through the throat then into the heart, he began decaying as if he aged 1000 years in the matter of 15 seconds. "What? Percy?" Hack looked up, another vampire, but soon she saw Slash and smiled, Slash with her sword, stabbed it through the guys heart and he began to act as if he'd come down with rigor mortis before himself giving the whole deterioration act. They teleported back to the roof. "Where's their le-" A large scream was what broke that sentence.

Duane was first to act upon this. Walking out of the room he saw the mammoth vampire. Holding Isabelle by the throat, blood was seeping from her neck as he had his claws dug deep inside her. "Let her go!" Duane said authoritively.

"And just whom' might you be?" Antonio spoke with indignation in his voice.

Duane pryed off his overalls, exposing his white t-shirt, his gun holsters, and his beige cargo pants, he was wearing hiking boots and he shook his head. "The 'visitor' that you're speaking of." He smirked. "Now put her down and we can have a little chat." Overhaul emmerged from behind him.

"Oh... there are more of you? Splendid... If you wish for me to put her down... then by all MEANS!" and with that he tossed her. Duane drew his guns and walked towards her. Overhaul stepped forward and caught her. Looking. "She's bleeding pretty severely." 

"You know first aid! Mend her wo-" Was all he could get out before Antonio was attacking him. He was easily stronger than Duane and this stalwart war of grappling brawn wasn't going to last for long. Antonio took Duane and tossed him as if he were a football or baseball at the glass doors of the butcherblock. And Duane went through them like they weren't even there. Except Duane felt the glass and the ground afterword as he was easlily thrown a good hundred feet, eventually colliding with the parking lot then rolling two or three times, eventually coming to a hault.

Xavier heard this and leapt from he roof, drawing his sword he saw antonio moving for Overhaul. "No..." he said quietly to himself as he sprinted into the room. Flipping the counter and embedding his sword into Antonio's shoulder before recieving a swipe from him that hit Xavier rather solidly, sending him into a wall and with a fair bit of debris he hit the floor. Wincing in surprising pain. 

Overhaul was freaked out, he'd never fought a vampire. He ususally had his gun and was taking heads out as if it were in season. But now he stared a very angry, very strong vampire right in the eye. Antonio spoke to him simply, as if he were a child ."Hand over the woman so I can join her with her late husband."

"How bout you go to hell, you undead peice of shit." And Overhaul who was in his own right, not a small man, tackled down Antonio and began assaulting him with a flurry of lefts and rights. Unfortunately, it was as if Overhaul was punching a brick wall and after two or three he winced in pain. This gave Antonio enough time to push Overhaul off of him effortlessly. The force threw Overhaul into the roof and he collided, then landed on the counter, proceeding to break it with his body easily.

"Now, Isabelle." Antonio spoke as he got up and stalked her. She was in shock but Overhaul managed to atleast get a bandage around her neck made from his shirt to slow the bleeding. She looked "No... n-no!"

Soon however Hack teleported into the room, grabbing Isabelle and teleporting her over to the parking lot where Slash was checking on Duane who was resisting frequent attempts to see if he was okay. "I'm fine! I've been thrown through brick walls, shot, stabbed, beaten to a pulp. Im sure I can hande a nice toss like I was a fucking football, alright?"

Slash held her arms up in obvious frustration, giving a grunt. Slash gave Hack a nod and took Isabelle then teleported away. Hack drew her sword and then helped Duane to his feet before teleporting again. Drawing his guns he began marching back to his feet. "Join or we kill you, they said." He groaned. "Hunting supernaturals... they said. Dye your hair... they said." Continuing to ramble as he walked back to the butcher block.

Xavier got up and grabbed his sword. "You... undead... peice of excrement. You will pay for your acts."

Antonio smirked. "Yeah? And just who sent you to stop me?"

"The government." Xavier said charging again, taking a slash that Antonio just knocked away with his arm. Xavier looked as his sword went flying and then stuck into a wall, groaning. Xavier ducked under a swing, then tripped up Antonio. "The bigger they are..." Xavier said grabbing a chunk of the counter that Overhaul broke. "The harder they fall..." he said before taking the peice and slamming it into his face, then striking the stone with his bare hand, striking through the stone into Antonio's face, who proceeded to yelp in obvious pane. "And the harder they fall.." Xavier said as he waited for Antonio to get up before chopping him in the gut. Antonio groaned as he spit out some blood and teeth. "The easier they break." Xavier said chopping him in the back of the neck. Sending him to the ground with a thud.

"Fucking... mother fucking tell me they'll fucking kill me if I dont fucking co-operate!" he said with a yell as he walked in, drawing his gun then unloading two full clips into Antonio's skull. Breathing deeply he put his guns back in their holsters as a pool of blood quickly formed over Antonio. "Fucking vampire peice of shit. Throw me out a glass door. Thats what you get!"

Xavier looked "Was that necessary?"

"Yes"

"Why?"

"Is it necessary for me to answer your questions when I am squad leader...And you're not?"

Xavier clearly looked frustrated at this.

"Fair enough, Mr. Bannts..."

Xavier walked out of the room after pulling his sword out of the wall. Duane walked over to Overhaul and slapped him a couple times on the face, not violently, just gently tapping him to wake him up. "Overhaul, you with me bud..."

Wincing gently as he came too Overhaul groaned. "My fucking head..." Duane smirked, he very seldom heard Overhaul swear, it was a pleasent change.

"You okay bud?" Duane asked as he helped Overhaul up.

Overhaul nodded. "I'll be fine... my head hurts, where is that son of a bitch..."

Duane looked, smiled slightly, pointed to him.

Overhaul blinked. "Holy..." He looked to Duane. "What happened."

"Long story short... Xavier put the kung-fu to him. Then I came in and dropped a good 30 bullets into his head." Duane said as if it were of no consequence.

"Do you have anger issues?" Overhaul asked curiously, as if he were a psychiatrist

"I have Vampire issues..." He said rather bitterly.

"Fair enough." Overhaul said.

They cleaned up their mess and eventually, the news was at the fall of their leader, the rest of the vampires went home. Since they'd lost 8 of their most powerful members. It was rather pointless to keep up the fight. They healed Isabelle who was thankful they came. Duane, Overhaul and Xavier all got thank you kisses on the cheek and they were all welcome back any time. Duane was polite and accepted the offer, but he knew that he'd probably never see her again. They said their goodbyes, got in the hummer and drove back to the hideout... where they were sent via chopper back to headquarters.


	16. Chapter Fifteen:50 Lbs For Your Thoughts

General Lassiter was wearing his usually chipper disposition. Duane, Xavier, Overhaul and the twins, Hack and Slash all were sitting around a table, Lassiter at the end infront of a large monitor. "The Mission, ladies and gentlemen, was a success. But dont let it get to your head. There were numerous factors that could have compromised the mission and lost all of us our jobs."

"Like what?" Duane demanded

"That act with the mayor was hardly favorable to us." General Lassiter said, showing obvious restraint with his temper.

"Well, he was being stubborn and I had to get my point across. I knew the urgency of the situation with the aliens and everything but he just wasn't getting the point." Duane said to his own defence.

Lassiter slammed his fist onto the ground. "And threatening to kill his own daughter!"

Duane shook his head. "I wasn't going to do it. I knew that'd be the bottling point, I knew his type, its the only thing he really had going for him. He wouldn't let it be taken away."

"Regardless, it was a wreckless act Bannts, He described your face to perfect accuracy, he didnt buy that you were dead and it took alot of effort on the governments part to cover this up." Lassiter continued.

"Listen, you wanted this over with. It was done, the vampires are gone and the town is safe. Hopefully they'll learn not to be so cocky." Duane said, reclining his chair and putting his feet up on the table.

"Get your feet of the damn table Bannts! Christ, where the fuck are your manners." Lassiter spat at Duane, clearly angry.

"Jesus-fucking-christ General, what the fuck is wrong?" Duane asked back.

"What the 'fuck' is wrong? Duane? You're what the fuck is wrong. Your leadership was in many situations questionable. It was your second mission so that's only a warning. But one more slip up and someone, more qualified will recieve your leadership position." The general spat.

"Well maybe if you wouldn't throw us into such bullshit situations with such inane intelligence maybe we'd be able to back ourselves on the field without resorting to questionable acts." Duane was defending himself and the general was not backing down.

"Those questionable acts could have gotten us out of buisness. And I dont know about you, but do you ever think to where your teammates would end up. Xavier would be back in Japan, where nobody wants him. No Family, No Friends, Overhaul would be in jail. Hack and Slash would be back in a mental home. And you would be slowly losing your will to live as you lived the rest of your days in solitary confinement." Lassiter continued with his verbal assault.

"This is hardly fair General. There was no other way to go about that. Nobody was talking to us. Might as well just gave us blindfolds and told us to fucking smell our way around for the vampires." He spat. "Fuck I hate vampires.."

"Duane. Your actions, even though they may have worked. Were irrational and of poor judgement. I am almost positive there were numerous situations that you could have perhaps taken different courses of action." The General was still clearly mad but calming himself down.

Duane groaned. "For fuck sakes!" He continued, "Will somebody back me up here? That first night we were lucky to run into anything. And we nearly got ourselves killed. We couldn't find anybody willing to talk until we found Isabelle!"

"The butcher." The General asked.

"The butchers wife... but I guess after those vampires, the butcher." He said with a long breath. "She was the only one who went out of her way to cooperate with us."

"At the expense of our cover Mr. Bannts." Xavier spoke as if he were jabbing needles into the voodoo doll that would belong to Duane.

"Is this true?" The general asked.

"Yes, but we trusted he-" Duane was interupted by the general once more.

"You blew your only cover to get information. And what did it get you?" The general asked curiously.

"It got us the leader, who we eliminated." Duane said quite proudly

"At the comprimise of your cover." The general was clearly frustrated. "Your actions were brash." He took a deep breath. "But this senseless arguing is getting us away from the point. Bannts, you'll recieve a warning and just for heavens sake. Next time use some caution and maybe think things through a little more thoroughly."

"I'm... I'm sorry." Duane said, slightly defeated, slightly uninterested in giving up this fight. But he knew it was hopeless.

There was a momentary silence where the general only sat in thought. Duane looked at his shoes, noticing a large spot of blood that ruined the tan color of the boot. Xavier was sitting rather upright with his eyes closed. Overhaul was sitting hunched over the table as if he were about to fall asleep and Hack and Slash were sitting politely. Waiting for the resumation of the meeting

Lassiter looked at them all curiously, taking a deep breath. "The military is rebounding to take action against this alien outbreak. The Aliens have taken up stronghold in possibility city."

"Possibility City?" Duane looked up, suddenly interested.

"The word is a couple members of Team Mutant X have been captured by the aliens and noone has seen anything from them. So I guess that's our cue people." General said with a sigh. Clearly the General was no more pleased with this than duane was now.

Duane looked onward and his mind was racing, two members, who? He had been curious of how the team was doing. He hadnt' even seen his friends since his 'death' and he hadn't heard anything of the team until now. And it wasn't positive. He sighed. To think of it now, was actually the first time he'd even given his friends thought.

Breaking the new string of silence, Xavier spoke up. "What do you plan to do General?" he asked curiously.

"Well, its obviously our cue to get our asses in gear. Im sorry you wont have any time off after a stressful mission like that one but time is of the essence as they say. And its something we're running out of. So you should all get a few hours of sleep atleast. That mean's you Xavier. Bannts, I've seen you wandering the halls late at night too. It will do all of us some good. We'll fully breif your mission tomorrow morning. 4AM we'll send you off. So that gives you atleast 6 hours to get a good nap, 10 if you're a deep sleeper. So dismissed."

Duane stood up deflated, grabbing his trenchcoat and throwing it on. Walking like a slug as he carried himself to his room. Changing into some sweatpants and a fresh t-shirt. After changing he walked over to the gym. Walking in, and turning on the light as expected it was empty. Duane smirked, few things made him feel good and forget all his worries. And one of those things was working out, and it was a hell of alot better than smoking.

Walking over to the bench press he loaded it up nothing too strenuous, just 250lbs, thankfully they loaded it with heavier weights incase he wanted to give himself a challenge. He heard the door open and he assumed it was overhaul, as he was the only other person who used the gym. But already noticing by the black pants and white tank-top, and white hair. It wasnt overhaul, hell it wasn't even black.

"Get Up." Xavier demanded.

"I'm working out, just w-" Duane was pulled up from his bench press by Xavier who gave him a swift chop in the gut.

Duane was sure he was hit by a truck, atleast thats what he'd preffered as the chop connected with his midsection and knocked all of the air out of him. No wonder Xavier dropped that vampire in just three hits. "What the... FUCK is your problem." Duane said with all the sound his larynx could produce.

Xavier kicked Duane in the head then looked down at him. "You listen to me. You were spoon fed your leadership but I know better... you're going to get us all put back. And I am NOT going anywhere."

Duane cursed as he spat out some blood and what he was certain was a tooth. "I'll give you 3 strikes Xavier... then I am kicking your fucking ass."

Xavier picked up Duane and pushed him into the wall before hitting him with another earth shattering palm that he was sure broke a rib. Spitting out more blood, Duane looked at him. "Three..." he said dodging the next strike headed his way, quickly he kneed Xavier in the gut then balled his hands together and hit Xavier with a hammer in the back, knocking him to the ground

Xavier was quick to get to his feet, almost quicker than he found himself there. As he stepped towards Duane who was reeling from the quickness of Xaviers rebound, Xavier launched a kick that connected solidly with the side of Duane's jaw, sending him colliding into a excersize bike, knocking it over before Duane fell to his face.

"It disgusts me that someone so pathetic is leading this team. The General trusts you for some obtuse reason, when he knows how ineffecient you are. I've heard tales of your missions and your legend. And I've met you face to face now, I think you're a pathetic joke. A old man who's golden days are behind him." Xavier said as he stalked towards Duane.

Duane pushed himself up to his knees, looking to Xavier. "If I'm anything..." He said as he blocked another kick from Xavier, grabbing the foot and pulling Xavier down then punching him in the face, smashing Xavier's nose. "I'm your daddy, asshole!"

Duane got up and picked up Xavier tossing him into a wall, following through and aiming a punch that collided with the mirror, smashing it with the severity of Duane's punch. Xavier stepped back towards Duane and chopped him in the abdomen then as Duane reeled, kicked him right in the chest as he toppled over a bench.

Xavier stalked after Duane, attempting to stomp him in the chest but Duane rolled out of the way, grabbing his coat, Duane felt Xavier kick his coat away. "You're a joke... you're nothing without your precious little guns."

Duane looked. "And you're a joke with that fucking haircut." Duane got to his feet and grabbed Xavier, throwing him to the ground. Xavier immediately tried to get up but Duane who grabbed a 50lb hand weight smacked Xavier across the face, knocking him unconcious. "50 pounds for your thoughts, asshole?"

Duane was about to go for another before Overhaul and General Lassiter came storming in. "Christ Bannts! You maniac, get off of him!" 

"That fuckwad was the one who started it. I'm in here minding my own buisness! Then he comes and assaults me!" Duane said as he attempted to plead his own case.

Lassiter helped Xavier up, who overhaul eventually grabbed. "Bannts I do not want to hear any of your fables."

"But General, Duane is right." Came a soft voice from a corner of the room. It was Hack, or was it Slash? Duane didn't remember which one had the short hair. "Xavier came in and attacked him..."

"And you didn't break it up." General asked curiously, almost shocked at this.

Slash shrugged. "Why would I get in the way of a quarrel like that. I didnt want to risk hurting myself. I'm certain Duane has a broken rib or two. And after that last hit. I'm sure Xavier has a broken or dislocated jaw..."

"Fuck." Lassiter swore. "Both of you, just... Bannts, I dont want to see you until you're summoned to the breifing tomorrow morning!" He looked to Slash. "Slash... Thank you, make sure Xavier doesn't do anthing stupid."

Duane stood there kind of awe struck as Overhaul carried an unconcious Xavier out of the room. Slash walked upto Duane who looked confused. "I dont care what Xavier thinks..." Slash said as she ran a finger curiously down Duane's muscular torso. "You're fit enough to lead me any day..." She said as she turned around and walked towards the entrance of the gym.

Now Duane was confused even more, "I dont mean to be rude... but which one of the wonder twins are you?"

Stopping at the door, she smiled. "Slash... but you can call me Malorie, but shh... you didnt hear that from me." She said as she opened the door and left with a shy smile and walked out.

Duane was left standing there with a blank look on his face, his utter confusion overshadowing completely the burning pain in his chest from the two broken ribs.


End file.
